Flawless swallowing is an important for our health but cannot be taken for granted. In Germany alone over 5 million people have swallowing disorders - and many of them are at a loss. The symptoms range from a harmless foreign body sensation to life-threatening malnutrition or pneumonia. Dysphagia - as the medical term is known - is particularly common in diseases such as stroke, Parkinson's or dementia. In this vivid book, journalist Thomas Corrinth and the two neurology professors, Rainer Dziewas and Tobias Warnecke, describe a widespread disease that will continue to increase in an ageing society. The three authors take readers on an informative journey through the mouth, throat and esophagus as well as into the brain, letting those affected talk about their everyday lives, explaining modern diagnosis and treatment options and providing useful contact addresses. The fact is that swallowing disorders are easily treatable - what is needed above all is more knowledge about them!

Thomas Corrinth is a freelance journalist, communication scientist and author in Essen.
Prof. Dr. med. Rainer Dziewas and Prof. Dr. med. Tobias Warnecke are chief physicians at the Clinic for Neurology and Early Neurological Rehabilitation at Osnabrück Hospital and leading experts in dysphagia.