TIPS FOR DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING

• Try antacids, milk, or milk products (sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese) to coat and protect the throat and esophagus. Use these every two to four hours as needed.
• Add liquids, such as gravy, sauces, and mayonnaise, to foods to make them easier to swallow.
• Using a straw for liquids and soft foods may make swallowing easier.
• Eat high calorie, high protein foods that are soft and smooth such as pudding, Jell-O, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, milkshakes, and eggnog.
• Blenderize foods that look good but are difficult to eat.
• Dunking bread or cookies in milk or cocoa will make them easier to swallow.
• Cool or room temperature foods will be most comfortable to eat; try popsicles, ice cubes, frozen yogurt and sherbet.
• Lukewarm tea is sometimes soothing to the throat.
• Avoid foods that are very hot in temperature.
• Avoid heavily spiced foods such as those containing chili powder, pepper, Tabasco sauce, horseradish, and curry powder.
• Avoid alcoholic and carbonated beverages as they can be irritating to the throat.
• Avoid citrus fruit and juices, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapples, and tomatoes.
• Avoid hard, coarse foods such as hard bread, crackers and raw vegetables.
• Salty foods are also drying and irritating such as pretzels, potato chips, and pickles.