Most people, who had previously considered mealtimes an opportunity to meet others and a social gathering, no longer believed them to be a pleasant aspect of their day on account of the difficulty in swallowing. As a result, food consistency had to be changed and strategies had to be invented to make the meal less embarrassing.
Where once they were able to order a drink and sip it, or drink it with a straw, now they have to ensure that it is the correct consistency for safe swallow and carry around with them a commercial thickener to add to their drinks and certain foods. It is certainly more awkward to dine with some form of dignity, because of the embarrassment of the consistency of the drinks and having to use a spoon to consume a liquid is not the norm.
Can you imagine asking a chef in a restaurant to puree your dinner for you? The looks and the questions that you may be asked by the server is certainly another contributing factor in reducing your social dining.
Even the swallowing process can lead to agitation with constant coughing or regurgitation of food and even vomiting in extreme cases of discomfort while eating can have a social impact on a person’s life.
Unfortunately, dysphagia is a disorder which has a negative influence on the person’s life, severely affecting ‘quality of life’, both the social and emotional aspects.