(Oral gymnastics) I keep spilling food... Lips like this~~

As our immune system weakens with age, it's important to eat well. However, a decline in chewing ability, such as difficulty chewing food properly or drooling, can negatively impact our health. Let's explore the causes of chewing difficulties and how to deal with them.

 

◇ Muscle function weakens with aging

 

Discomfort when chewing food is often related to aging. As we age, our muscles gradually lose strength and nerves weaken, which also weakens the oral muscles and nerves involved in chewing. Tooth loss can also be a contributing factor. While a healthy adult typically has 28 to 32 teeth, the average number of teeth in older adults in Korea is only 16.29. Furthermore, brain diseases such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and stroke can also cause chewing difficulties. This is because damage to the brain region containing the muscles and nerves responsible for chewing can impede their movement.

◇ Skipping meals can weaken your immune system.

 

People with chewing disorders not only struggle to chew food, but also often spill food out of their mouths due to poor tongue control. This makes eating difficult and can even lead to skipping meals. Consequently, nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and meats are relatively difficult to chew, making them prone to malnutrition and dehydration. In particular, nutritional imbalances in the elderly can lead to sarcopenia, decreased immune function, delayed wound healing, and increased mortality.

 

◇Muscles should be trained through oral exercises

 

Symptoms of chewing discomfort caused by simple aging can be improved simply by adjusting eating habits.

 

Think of eating as eating small portions slowly. A spoon or fork is better than chopsticks. Eating too much at once or using chopsticks can make eating more uncomfortable when your oral muscles are weak. Also, when drinking water, choose lukewarm or warm water over cold water. Cold water tenses the oral muscles and slows esophageal motility.

 

Exercises that strengthen the oral muscles can also help.

 

For this, it is good to practice the ‘spoon exercise 30 minutes before a meal.’

 

First, place a long-handled spoon in ice water for about a minute.

 

Next, put the chilled spoon in your mouth, place it against the inside of your cheek, and push it outwards 5 times.

 

Do the same thing on the other side.

 

Another method is to open your mouth and practice pronouncing the sounds 'ah', 'eh', 'ee', 'oh', and 'oo' frequently.

 

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There's something called oral gymnastics.

After soaking the spoon for 1 minute

Put it in both mouths and push the balls out

I think it might be too cold

 

30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds at first rather than 1 minute

I think it would be okay to increase it slowly like this.

In normal times

If you pronounce it as "Ah. E. I. O. U."

The muscles in your neck do move.