Ventilation, Respiration, Pulmonary Diseases, and Swallowing

Abstract

The respiratory and digestive functions of the upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) are inextricably linked, taking turns performing their life-supporting functions. The SLP is responsible for the management of swallowing disorders that increase health risks to patients, and necessarily need to understand and integrate into their evaluations and interventions, how the respiratory system works in health and disease, how to examine it, and how it changes in response to various conditions. This paper reviews the basics of respiratory anatomy and pulmonary function, respiratory-swallow coordination, and common pulmonary diseases in adults and how they affect swallowing function.