The Living with Parkinson's Disease Tip of the Day: Coughing when Eating

If you cough when eating or drinking, you may be at risk for aspiration pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death in Parkinson’s disease.

Make sure that you bring this to the attention of your care team right away.

We usually recommend a swallowing study and an evaluation by a speech language pathologist.

There are lots of specific tips (e.g. a chin tuck when swallowing) depending on your swallowing issue that can keep you safe and enjoying life.

Finally, if you find that you have a difficult time producing a “big” cough this may also be a sign that you are at risk for pneumonia!

To read more books and articles by Michael S. Okun MD check him out on Twitter, @MichaelOkun, and also Amazon.com. The 14 books he has written including #Livingwith Parkinson’s #EndingPD #Parkinsonsecrets #LessonsFromTheBedside Dr. Okun also serves as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation.