Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Impairment may occur in any stage of the swallow. Dysphagia may involve only one stage, or a combination of stages of the swallow, and it increases the risk of aspiration (food and/or liquid entering the lungs rather than the esophagus). Aspiration increases the chances of pneumonia. Dysphagia may be related to a wide range of neurological disorders, to tumors in the head and neck or to other medical conditions. Just as there are wide ranges of causes, there are also wide ranges of treatments. These include changes in positioning, modifications in the consistencies of foods and liquids, and techniques that alter the way a person swallows. If your physician and/or speech language pathologist recommends a change in the consistencies of food and liquid, it is very important to carefully follow their recommendations. Your physician or speech pathologist may recommend that food be pureed to create pudding-like consistency. Without a thickening agent, the food pulp and the liquid separate in the pureeing process. For example, if fruits and pureed and allowed to sit at room temperature, the juice weeps, or separates. This creates a mix of consistencies, which is especially difficult for the person with dysphagia to handle or control, increasing the risk of aspiration. In addition, pureed foods appear formless and unappetizing. This is often discouraging for the person with dysphagia. It does nothing to enhance the mealtime experience, or even to provide an incentive for the patient to try to develop a rehabilitated swallow.