If you were shocked when I wrote that SLPs help people with their swallowing, you aren’t alone! When I started graduate school, I had no idea that this fell within the realm of speech pathology. So, you’re in good company!
Dysphagia is a very official and fancy term for “swallowing disorder.” The disorder can occur as a result of something going on in the mouth (oral cavity) or in the throat (pharyngeal cavity). It can also occur as a result of something going on in the stomach, but we leave that to the GI doctors (I know nothing about stomachs). Either way, food and liquids are not making their way properly to the stomach. Sometimes it escapes out of the mouth and other times, it escapes into the lungs.