Many of us do not understand the difference between dysphasia and dysphagia. They are two different terms that refer to distinct conditions related to language and swallowing, respectively, and they have different underlying causes.
As outlined below, dysphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand and use language, while dysphagia refers to difficulty or discomfort in swallowing
food and liquids.
Dysphasia (Aphasia):
Dysphasia, also known as aphasia, refers to a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand, express or use language. It is often caused by damage to the parts of the brain that control language, such as a stroke or brain injury. Dysphasia can result in difficulties in speaking, listening, reading and writing. It does not directly involve swallowing difficulties.
Dysphagia:
Dysphagia is a term used to describe difficulty or discomfort in swallowing. It can affect the oral phase (chewing and moving food into the throat), pharyngeal phase (swallowing reflex and movement of food through the throat), or the oesophageal phase (movement of food through the oesophagus into the stomach). Dysphagia can be caused by various factors, including structural abnormalities, muscular problems, neurological disorders, or other underlying health conditions.
Stan’s Choice website is all about dysphagia. More about the condition can be found on our pages:
‘Why do people struggle to swallow food and drink?’,
‘What are the full details of the swallowing process?’
and