Suck

What is the ability to suck in or suck something up? What is the meaning and the benefit for humans? Are there any illnesses as a result of which the sucking reflex is incomplete? These questions about the Sucking and the absorbency answers the following article.

What is the sucking?

Physiologically, the ability to absorb liquids through sucking follows the innate sucking reflex, which disappears between the ages of six and twelve months.

The reflex is inherent in the newborn to look for its mother's breast immediately after birth. If something touches his cheek, it turns its head there. Then, when the nipple touches the lips or the tip of the tongue, the mouth will close around the nipple and the newborn will begin to suckle. It only makes these searching movements with its mouth when it gets hungry - shortly before the hunger stimulus becomes too strong and it cries out for food with all its might.

Just like the search reflex, the suckling reflex is innate in the newborn. It is only by sucking that it can effectively ingest, swallow and digest food. By the age of six to twelve months, the central nervous system is so developed that the reflex is replaced by willful and voluntary sucking.

If the sucking reflex persists as a reflex and does not go away, it can be a sign of brain damage - just as other innate reflexes that normally disappear (for example, in infantile cerebral palsy) can persist with brain damage.

Function & task

The ability to absorb liquids through suction lasts a lifetime. This process takes place alternately and in coordination with breathing. When breathing, the esophagus becomes blocked. If a person ingests food or liquid, the trachea is closed by a reflex through the larynx cover so that food and liquid cannot be inhaled into the lungs.

The ability to suck is associated with functioning motor skills in the mouth area: Here, lips, tongue, jaw, soft palate, throat and larynx muscles should be mentioned. Sucking and swallowing movements, transport and breathing have to be coordinated with the motor, because the aspiration (swallowing) of liquids and food can lead to pneumonia. The cough reflex protects against aspiration.

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Illnesses & ailments

The ability to ingest, swallow and digest fluids through sucking is essential for human survival even after infancy. Sometimes this function can be disturbed.

This is the case with neurological diseases or diseases of the ear, nose and throat area. The ability to suck up liquids and ingest food can also be impaired as a result of the human aging process.

A disturbance in the ability to suckle and swallow can be manifested by the following signs, which are often not taken seriously: These are frequent choking, coughing and clearing throat, a hoarse or hoarse voice. Liquid, food and saliva cannot be kept in the mouth and will fall or flow out. Due to a lack of muscle activity and a lack of coordination of control, food remains in the mouth or throat for too long. Food consumption also takes a lot of time. With poor motor activity and coordination, little or no sucking or chewing movements are visible.

Weight loss, dehydration, and bronchitis are the consequences of inadequate food and fluid intake. A sudden fever of unknown origin and pneumonia can also occur.

To improve food intake, care must be taken to maintain an upright posture when sitting. The back may need to be leaned or supported. Bent arms lying on the table also help here. Liquids can be sucked up in small sips with a straw or a special drinking cup.

The disturbance of the sucking, chewing and swallowing functions is usually associated with logopedic problems - articulation of language - and problems of breathing and digestion. In order to improve the suction function, speech therapy exercises or exercises in local oral motor skills are necessary.

Diseases that can impair the ability to suckle and swallow include Parkinson's disease, injuries and tumors of the swallowing route (tongue, palatal arch, tonsils, throat, esophagus) or a stroke. After a tumor operation in this area, the problems may persist if the damage is so severe that the ability to suck can not be restored.

Various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis or a more severe traumatic brain injury can impair the suction and swallowing functions.

In people with infantile cerebral palsy, a Gothic jaw with misaligned teeth and orthodontic problems can develop as a result of the incorrect muscle tone and improper innervation in the mouth and throat area. Here, too, sucking, swallowing and speech are disturbed.

In the case of people with disabilities, the sucking reflex and later the ability to suck up liquids can be disturbed. It can be triggered by any disability affecting the central nervous system.