Eating while constantly spilling food is due to aging... Try moving your lips like this

As you age, your immune system weakens, so it is important to eat well. However, if you have difficulty chewing food properly or saliva keeps flowing out, your 'masticatory ability' declines, which can negatively affect your health. Let's learn about the reasons for chewing discomfort and how to cope with it.

◇As aging weakens muscle function, the difficulty in chewing food is related to aging. As people age, muscles throughout the body gradually deteriorate and nerves weaken, which also affects the oral muscles and nerves involved in mastication. Tooth loss may also be a cause. Healthy adults typically have 28 to 32 teeth, but the average number of teeth among elderly people in Korea is only 16.29. Additionally, brain diseases such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and stroke can also cause chewing discomfort. When the brain area responsible for the muscles and nerves involved in mastication is damaged, that area may not move properly.

Skipping meals can lead to decreased immune function. If there is difficulty in chewing, it is not only hard to chew food but also difficult to control the tongue, often causing food to spill out of the mouth. As a result, eating becomes burdensome, and people tend to skip meals. This makes it relatively difficult to chew nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and meat, increasing the risk of malnutrition and dehydration. Especially in the elderly, nutritional imbalance can lead to sarcopenia, weakened immune function, delayed wound healing, and can increase the risk of death.

◇Strengthen muscles through oral exercises Discomfort in chewing caused by simple aging can be improved by adjusting eating habits. Think of eating small amounts slowly. Using a spoon or fork is better than chopsticks. When oral muscles are weakened, eating a large amount at once or using chopsticks can make eating more uncomfortable. Also, when drinking water, choose lukewarm or warm water rather than cold water. Cold water can tense the oral muscles and reduce esophageal motility.

Exercises to strengthen oral muscles are also helpful. To do this, it is good to practice the "30-minute before meal spoon exercise." First, place a spoon with a long handle in ice water for about 1 minute. Then, put the cooled spoon inside your mouth, press it against the inside of your cheek, and push outward five times. Repeat the same method on the other side. Practicing the pronunciation of "A," "E," "I," "O," and "U" while opening your mouth frequently is also beneficial.

<Source: Health Chosun>