If you or a loved one is experiencing trouble swallowing, coughing with meals, food sticking in the throat, or frequent pneumonia, you need a swallow study.
At our outpatient speech therapy clinic in East Texas, we provide Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) to assess swallow safety and swallow efficiency. This advanced swallow study allows us to see in color what is happening in the throat when eating and drinking, so we can create the most effective treatment plan.
A swallow study is a medical assessment used to evaluate how safely and effectively a person swallows food, liquids, and saliva. Swallowing problems (also called dysphagia) can occur at any age and are especially common in adults with neurological, respiratory, or age-related conditions.
Without a swallow study, many swallowing problems go incorrectly diagnosed—especially when symptoms are subtle or silent.
We can’t treat what we can’t see.
If you fell and hurt your arm, a doctor wouldn’t just guess it was broken and put a cast on. You would get imaging.
At SSNR, we offer FEES to determine what is making your swallow unsafe, so we can improve your swallow function and bring the joy back to your mealtime.
Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is a swallow study performed by a speech-language pathologist. A small, flexible camera is gently placed through the nose to give a clear view of the throat and vocal cords.
FEES allows us to:
FEES is performed right in our East Texas outpatient clinic and does not require radiation or weeks of waiting to get an appointment.
One of the main goals of a swallow study is to determine swallow safety—how well the airway is protected during eating and drinking.
With FEES, we can clearly see:
Silent aspiration is common and often missed without an instrumental swallow study. FEES allows us to identify these risks early and accurately.
Swallowing problems are not only about safety. Many people struggle with swallowing efficiency, meaning food or liquid does not move through the throat as well as it should.
Poor swallow efficiency can cause:
FEES lets us see if food or liquid is left behind and where it collects, helping us understand why swallowing feels hard or exhausting.
Most importantly, FEES helps us make recommendations that protect the airway without unnecessary diet restrictions, supporting both safety and quality of life.
You may benefit from a swallow study if you or your loved one experiences:
If you are in East Texas and searching for a swallow study, early evaluation matters.
Swallowing problems are complex—and guessing can lead to unsafe or overly restrictive recommendations.
FEES allows us to see swallow safety and efficiency clearly, so treatment is based on what is actually happening, not assumptions.
If you’re looking for a swallow study in East Texas, our clinic is here to help you take the next step toward safer, easier eating and drinking.
