Safety basics
Aspiration warning signs
Aspiration is food or liquid entering the airway. It isn’t always dramatic — it can be silent. Here’s what to watch for at the table.
During or after meals
- Coughing or throat-clearing during or right after eating and drinking
- A wet or gurgly-sounding voice after swallowing
- Extra effort or multiple swallows per bite; food pocketing in the cheeks
- Watery eyes, a runny nose, or grimacing with swallows
- Shortness of breath while eating; needing breaks to breathe
Patterns over days or weeks
- Recurring low-grade fevers or chest congestion, especially after meals
- Unintended weight loss or meals taking much longer than they used to
- Avoiding foods or drinks they used to enjoy
See any of these? Note when they happen and call the speech-language pathologist or physician. New trouble breathing, blue lips, or inability to swallow anything at all is an emergency — call 911.