Vocal tract discomfort and quality of life in swallowing in the elderly

Abstract

degenerative way, by the weakening of defense mechanisms and loss of functional reserves that affect the whole organism. Objective: To characterize the vocal tract discomfort and the quality of life related to swallowing in elderly individuals. Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out in the medical clinic sector and in the vicinity of an University hospital. Approved by the Research Ethics Committee under No. 1,943,445. The questionnaires related to swallowing were analyzed in two groups: hospitalized elderly (n = 200), older than 60 years, and elderly considered healthy (n = 200), older than 60 years, of both genders. Results: In the healthy elderly, there was a prevalence of females (50,50% n=101) and in the hospitalized there was a prevalence of males (61,50% n=123).The hospitalized elderly presented higher frequency and intensity of sensory symptoms of vocal tract discomfort. Regarding the quality of life in swallowing, the lowest scores were for the domains sleep and fatigue. There was a negative and weak correlation between the sensorial symptoms of vocal tract discomfort and swallowing related to quality of life. Conclusion: The hospitalized elderly presented more symptoms / sensations of vocal tract discomfort with worse impact on swallowing quality of life when compared to healthy elderly.