This phase begins when food is placed in the mouth and moistened with saliva.
Moistened food is called a food bolus.
The food bolus is then voluntarily moved further into the oropharynx (upper part of the throat).
Karl Grupe / The Image Bank / Getty Images
This step also requires the voluntary elevation of the soft palate so that prevent food from entering the nose.
These actions prevent food from going down the wrong pipe into thetrachea(windpipe).
Lung infections due to problems with the pharyngeal phase of the swallowing reflex are commonly known as aspirationpneumonia.
Dysphagia
Healthy people can generally swallow with little deliberate thought and effort.
If the nervous system is disrupted due to astrokeor another disease, then problems with swallowing can occur.
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