Normal Swallowing!
Drinking
a
glass
of
water,
eating
a
candy
bar
or
sitting
down
to
a
good
meal
are
very
pleasurable
activities.
They
are
so
automatic
we
take
them
for
granted.
We
also
take
for
granted
the
pleasure
we
get
form
the
tastes
and
textures
of
the
foods
we
eat.
Normal
swallowing
is
fast
and
well
coordinated:
Normal
swallowing
of
food
and
liquid
requires
coordination
of
a
large
number
of
muscles
in
the
mouth,
throat
(pharynx)
and
esophagus
(a
tube
that
leads
from
the
pharynx
to
the
stomach).
As
food
is
placed
in
the
mouth,
we
close
our
lips
to
prevent
drooling.
Muscles
of
the
tongue
and
jaw
move
food
around
in
the
mouth
for
chewing.
When
chewing
is
finished,
the
food
is
collected
into
a
ball
by
movements
of
the
tongue.
The
swallow
begins
as
the
tongue
pushes
the
food
upward
and
backward
toward
the
back
of
the
mouth
and
the
throat
(pharynx).
As
the
tongue
pushes
the
food
or
liquid
toward
the
back
of
the
mouth,
the
muscles
in
the
pharynx
begin
to
move
to
receive
the
food.
The
top
of
the
windpipe
(larynx)
begins
to
lift,
move
forward,
adn
close
to
keep
food
from
going
into
the
lungs.
The
soft
part
of
the
roof
of
the
mouth
(the
soft
palate)
lifts
to
close
off
the
entrance
to
the
nose.
As
food
passes
over
the
back
of
the
tongue
and
enters
the
pharynx,
muscles
in
the
pharynx
contract
to
squeeze
the
food
through
the
pharynx
and
into
the
esophagus.
Ass
the
food
approaches
the
entrance
to
the
esophagus,
the
valve
at
the
top
of
the
esophagus
opens
to
allow
the
food
to
pass.
Muscles
in
the
esophagus
then
contract
to
push
the
food
from
the
top
of
the
esophagus
through
the
valve
at
the
bottom
of
the
esophagus
and
into
the
stomach.
Normal
swallowing
is
safe
and
efficient:
Normal
swallowing
is
a
very
fast
process,
taking
less
than
2
seconds
to
move
the
food
from
the
mouth,
through
the
pharynx,
and
into
the
esophagus.
Normal
swallowing
is
safe
because
the
larynx
(the
entrance
to
the
windpipe)
is
closed
as
the
food
passes.
The
food
is
normally
moved
efficiently
through
the
mouth
and
pharynx,
with
very
little
trace
of
food
or
liquid
left
behind.
If
larger
amounts
of
food
are
swallowed
at
one
time,
the
swallow
takes
slightly
longer
and
the
muscles
of
the
mouth
and
pharynx
work
simultaneously,
rather
than
in
a
sequence.
At
times,
we
hold
our
breath
to
protect
the
windpipe
in
anticipation
of
a
very
large
swallow.
Though
normal
swallowing
changes
at
times
with
the
types
of
food
swallowed,
the
safety
and
efficiency
of
the
swallow
do
not
change.
