Deep Brain Diary

Looking again at the video from yesterday’s modified barium swallow, something finally caught my eye.  Something my wife noticed yesterday when I first played it.  (“You never listen to me,” is what I THINK she said, but I don’t think I caught all of it because there was a reflection of sunlight on my computer screen that distracted me.)

Watch the video.  And MARVEL at the LAZINESS of a NAUGHTY EPIGLOTTIS that doesn’t even TRY to close until most of the barium-laced applesauce is past it.

Yes, the epiglottis is controlled by muscles attached to the hyoid bone which is attached to other muscles and ALL muscles are affected by Parkinson’s disease.  That’s why so many of us develop swallowing problems.  This isn’t actual “aspiration.”  You can only call it that when the stuff gets into and past your vocal cords.  This stuff is just penetrating my larynx (hence the term, “laryngeal penetration”) and gets swept out before it can do any real harm.

But it’s NOT even supposed to GET in there!!!

Do you HEAR ME, epiglottis?

BAD epiglottis!  NAUGHTY epiglottis!  You’ll be the DEATH of me YET!

(Probably…)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Throat Anatomy: Throat Parts, Pictures (healthhype.com)

• Share this on del.icio.us
• Digg this!
• Post this on Diigo
• Share this on Reddit
• Buzz up!
• Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon
• Share this on Technorati
• Share this on Mixx
• Share this on Facebook
• Tweet This!
• Email this to a friend?
• Subscribe to the comments for this post?
• Share this on LinkedIn
• Seed this on Newsvine
• Add this to Google Bookmarks
• Add this to Google Reader
• Post on Google Buzz
• Add this to Mister Wong