What is thickened water

Your doctor or speech therapist should tell you what consistency your liquids should be. Never Miss a Beat! Tap Click to Join! I understand that I may opt out of receiving such communications at any time. Thank you for subscribing! Message and data rates may apply. Nutrition Do Detoxes Work? The Answer May Surprise You. Patient Portal. Request Appointment. In addition, it prevents liquid from entering the trachea, allowing for proper digestion and more enjoyable mealtimes.

Anyone who experiences difficulty swallowing can benefit from thickened water. Typically, swallowing issues are diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist. To determine if your elderly loved one is at risk, the specialist assesses their facial and oral structure and watches them eat and drink. There are several types of agents used to thicken water, but they fall into two distinct categories:. Starch is a white, tasteless powder that quickly dissolves into various liquids.

Starch-based thickeners are easy to mix but require immediate consumption. Left to sit, starch-thickened beverages become increasingly chunky and difficult to swallow. Gum-based thickeners are made from natural products like xanthan, a type of fermented sugar. Gum thickeners maintain the same consistency over time, so you can refrigerate or save them for later.

Thickened water tastes very similar to regular tap or bottled water, the only real difference is the consistency. Many people compare its viscosity to aloe vera gel. You can easily pour and swallow thickened water, but its mouthfeel is noticeably more chunky. Thus, their swallowing is now hampered. Another reason is head, throat and neck cancers, which are notorious for affecting eating and swallowing.

When a tumor grows so large as to block the ability of swallowing, it must be surgically removed. And in the surgery, cutting the nerve that functions in swallowing may occur, permanently disabling the ability to swallow as usual.

Lack of saliva in the mouth dry mouth is another reason for dysphagia and the need to drink thick water. Dry mouth is caused by opiate medications, Cox-2 inhibitors, ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, anti-inflammatory agents, antidepressants, sleep medications and Metformin. Having problems swallowing is a bigger problem than what most people believe. For example, Dr. David Francis, M. It also makes it more likely that they will die in the hospital.

In one study published on the topic in , researcher David G. It occurs in those with increasing age, affects cognitive function, is common, multifactorial, contributes to death and a poor outcome, and causes a functional impairment, fulfilling the definition of a Geriatric Giant.

A Geriatric Giant is symptoms but not diagnoses in their own right. What exactly then is thick water? You can thicken water at home yourself — or buy it already thickened. If you purchase thick water, starch and starch-based thickeners are added to it. They are tasteless and dissolve quickly into the liquid but must be immediately drunk. This was the last straw. After eight hours of thick-liquid hydration, I was ready to throw in the goopy, slimy towel.

Needless to say, the whole thing backfired. I am in hell. Patients with dysphagia are actually better off receiving their fluids from fluid-dense foods rather than thickened water. Pointing to a survey in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that found one in 12 nursing home residents in the U.

You deserve better. Quinn Myers is a staff writer at MEL. He reports on internet culture, technology, health, masculinity and the communities that flourish within. This is thick water. I chose pudding-level thickness, and then some for my coffee.