Do you choke every time you eat? Try eating in this posture.

I've noticed that I choke more frequently every time I eat. Even if you don't eat quickly, it can happen due to the deterioration of the esophageal and tracheal muscles due to aging. Don't just accept that "age is a lie," but actively work to improve your swallowing habits. Swallowing disorders that cause choking can lead to a variety of health problems.

Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing food or food that should go into the esophagus mistakenly entering the airway. This can often lead to choking. If severe, eating itself can become difficult, potentially leading to nutritional deficiencies. There's also a risk of aspiration pneumonia from food entering the airway. Most dysphagia occurs due to aging, which leads to a decline in the muscle function of the airway and esophagus. It's estimated that one in three elderly Koreans suffers from dysphagia.

Changing your eating habits can improve your symptoms. When eating, sit up straight and gently tuck your chin down. This tucked-in position narrows your airway, preventing food from entering. Eat slowly and avoid talking while eating. Avoid hard or large foods, and if you must eat them, chop them into small pieces. Eating a balanced diet, focusing on soft, thick foods like yogurt and tofu, can also help.

Exercises to strengthen the muscles around the mouth may also help.

▲'Cheek exercise': Close your lips, suck in both cheeks, and then blow air into both cheeks repeatedly.

▲'Jaw exercise': Open your mouth as wide as possible, then close it, and then move your jaw left and right as much as possible.

▲Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and consistently do ‘tongue exercises’ by moving it back and forth along the roof of your mouth.