Swallowing and eating difficulty
SMA patients have difficulty swallowing food or eating it. This is called dysphagia. A lower motor neuron of the brain stem controls the movement of the tongue. The tongue’s efficiency and ability to move is reduced. SMA affects the strength of the muscles in the sub-mental area of the tongue. This causes difficulty eating. A patient with spinal muscular atrophies may have difficulty lifting food to their mouth due to the muscle weakness. Patients with spinal muscular atrophy also experience swallowing difficulties. Nearly 36% of those with spinal muscular atrophy suffer from eating and swallowing disorders.
