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.

 

◇ Muscle function weakens due to aging

 

The reason why chewing food becomes uncomfortable is related to aging. As people age, the muscles throughout the body gradually weaken and nerves also become less effective due to aging. At this time, the oral muscles and nerves involved in mastication also weaken. 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 symptoms of chewing discomfort. When the brain areas responsible for chewing muscles and nerves are damaged, those areas do not move well.

Skipping meals can also lead to decreased immune function

 

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

 

◇Strengthen muscles through oral exercises

 

Discomfort in chewing caused solely by aging can be improved by simply adjusting eating habits.

 

Think of meals as eating small amounts slowly. 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 that strengthen oral muscles are also helpful.

 

It is good to practice the 'spoon exercise 30 minutes before a meal' for this.

 

First, place the spoon with a long handle in ice water for about 1 minute.

 

Next, put the cooled spoon into your mouth, press it against the inside of your cheek, and push outward five times.

 

The same method is applied to the opposite side.

 

Practicing frequently by opening your mouth and pronouncing 'A', 'E', 'I', 'O', 'U' is also a helpful method.

 

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There is such a thing called oral exercise.

After soaking the spoon for one minute

Pushing the cheeks out while placing something in both mouths

It might feel too cold.

 

Initially, rather than 1 minute, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds.

I think it's okay to gradually increase it like this.

In everyday life

If you pronounce A, E, I, O, U.

The muscles up to the neck do move.