Nihon Jibiinkoka Gakkai kaiho
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Nippon Jibiinkoka Gakkai Kaiho · Nov 2015
[Aural Stimulation with Capsaicin Ointment Improved the Swallowing Function in Patients with Dysphagia: Evaluation by the SMRC Scale].
Cough and swallowing reflexes are important airway-protective mechanisms against aspiration. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, one of the side effects of which is cough, have been reported to reduce the incidence of aspiration pneumonia in hypertensive patients with stroke. ACE inhibitors have also been reported to improve the swallowing function in post-stroke patients. ⋯ Thus, aural stimulation with capsaicin represents a novel treatment for dysphagia. It is also suggested that repeated alternative aural stimulation with capsaicin for a week, rather than a single application, is needed to improve the swallowing function in patients with severe dysphagia. By the same mechanism as that underlying the effect of ACE inhibitors, aural stimulation with capsaicin may reduce the incidence of aspiration pneumonia in patients with dysphagia.