Help for those with swallowing disorders

Starch-based thickeners like Thick & Easy go a long way in improving the nutrition and quality of life of patients with swallowing disorders.

Manufactured by Fresenius Kabi, the leader of infusion therapy and clinical nutrition in Europe, Thick & Easy allows stroke patients, those recovering from thyroid surgery as well as people suffering from head and neck injuries, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron diseases and cerebral palsy to better control the food they eat.

Ordinarily, regular food breaks down into particles when chewed, making it difficult for patients with impaired mouth and throat muscles to swallow it.

Thick & Easy answers this problem by turning food and drink into a dense, cohesive consistency, allowing patients to better control the food in their mouth before swallowing.

As its name suggests, Thick & Easy is simple to use. It comes in powder form and the recommended amount can be sprinkled directly into the food and drink. The solution stops thickening after one minute, allowing the food to retain a uniform consistency.

It can also be used as a soaking solution for biscuits and breads and works with a wide range of beverages.

In fact, Dr. William Lim, a surgeon at St. Luke’s Medical Center specializing in head and neck injuries, says that one of his patients finds Thick & Easy so versatile, he sprinkles it on everything, "including soft drinks and energy drinks!"

Credit that to the fact that Thick & Easy has no taste, allowing patients to enjoy the real flavors of their food and drink.

Thick & Easy is now available at selected Mercury Drugstores.