Could My Asthma Be Causing Swallowing Problems?

Who knew potatoes could be dangerous? I recently choked on a baby potato; I know that doesn't seem that important, and I likely should have cut the potato into smaller pieces.

However, this incident made me think about side effects related to coughing and whether I had been experiencing them. This realization came after I recovered from my initial panic over coughing and choking.

Investigating the cause of a chronic cough

I had some suspicions that choking might be the cause of a pesky cough that just wouldn't go away. I have been working with my care team to try to figure out where this cough was coming from.

Possible suspects in chronic cough can include:¹

• Eosinophilic conditions
• Airway inflammation and remodeling
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Postnasal drip
• Idiopathic causes (unknown origin)

While my cough may be asthma-related, the most likely explanation is an increase in inflammation. Because inflammation is a cornerstone of my asthma, the cough could indicate a loss of asthma control.

The complex connection between asthma and swallowing

Adding to the asthma mix was the addition of throat irritation and trouble swallowing. I was chalking up the swallowing issue to the throat irritation, which is a common side effect of the medication that I have been taking.

This all seemed reasonable, and my care team was mostly in agreement. However, we still needed to decide what to do about it.

This sparked the need for more information and testing. Testing included a blood test focused on eosinophils, a C-reactive protein test, and a cortisol test for adrenal suppression.

I also had a chest X-ray to make sure a previous infection and rib fracture had both resolved. The most critical information was likely to come from connections to inflammation from all the oral steroids that keep wreaking ongoing havoc in my body.

Seeing a specialist for asthma and swallowing problems

My next step was a referral to a speech-language pathologist to evaluate my asthma and swallowing issues. Did you know that speech-language pathologists are the type of specialists who evaluate swallowing issues?

This was news to me! I had assumed it was my ear, nose, and throat specialist's (ENT) responsibility, but I was mistaken. Speech-language pathologists work with ENTs and pulmonologists to provide coordinated care. They specialize in swallowing and communication disorders.

I am really hoping that I am not adding to my list of growing health issues, but I am happy to get this one evaluated as soon as possible. It will take some time to get an appointment, as it is a small but highly specialized clinic.

As with most things in my health system, demand outnumbers available appointments. My appointment will likely involve swallowing studies, including being scoped. In the interim, I am hoping that a change in nasal therapy may help in case there is a connection to postnasal drip.

Have you ever seen a speech-language pathologist? Have you had a connection between your asthma and swallowing issues? I would love to hear about your experiences.