Dysphagia and droplet infection are two common factors leading to aspiration pneumonia. According to the survey, among the main causes of death in China 10, pneumonia has ranked third, and the death caused by aspiration pneumonia is increasing year by year. Yangming Medical University has published "Introspection Law" and "Oral Health Exercise", hoping to reduce the incidence of aspiration pneumonia in the elderly.

In addition to droplet infection, dysphagia is an important factor causing aspiration pneumonia in the elderly. Zhang, a clinical teacher in the Department of Dentistry of Yangming University, pointed out that pneumonia kills 1 0.2 million people every year, with an average death per 1 hour/person. However, most people think that pneumonia is transmitted by others. However, according to the survey of Yangming University, in addition to droplet infection, bacteria may also be "inhaled into the lungs" by themselves.

The elderly have a high risk of death from aspiration pneumonia.

According to the analysis of more than 20,000 people with chewing and swallowing difficulties in the health insurance database, it is found that the incidence of aspiration pneumonia in people with swallowing difficulties is 1.75%, but only 0.92% of them swallow normally, which is nearly 1 times higher. Once suffering from aspiration pneumonia, the mortality rate is as high as 47.3%. In contrast, the mortality rate of non-aspiration pneumonia is about 15.6%, which is twice as high.

In China, more and more elderly people have been choking in bed for a long time, or because of chewing disorder, bacteria are inhaled or choked into the lungs with food or vomit, resulting in "aspiration pneumonia". A typical example is that the dentures of the elderly have not been cleaned for a long time, and the bacteria on the dentures may enter the lungs because of coughing, leading to aspiration pneumonia.

The feeling of chewing and swallowing the throat. (Photo courtesy/Department of Dentistry, Yangming University)