HealthInfo Aoraki South Canterbury
Safe eating & drinking with facial weakness or numbness
Te inu me kai haumaru me te ngoikore, te matengurunguru rānei ā-kanohi
Some conditions, such as brain injury and stroke can cause muscle weakness, shortness of breath and fatigue (tiredness). This means it can take longer to eat a meal.
The following tips may help to make eating easier and safer.
- Keep food to a soft, moist consistency. For example, mince, mashed potato, boiled fish, soft vegetables and soft fruits such as avocados and bananas.
- Avoid dry and very fibrous or dense foods that need a lot of chewing, such as steak, crackers, biscuits, toast and toffees.
- Sucking on an ice cube before you eat may improve sensation and make it easier to eat.
- Take a sip of water or other drink between each mouthful of food. This can help to clear any food that is left behind in parts of your mouth that you cannot feel.
- Clear your cheek with your tongue during and after eating to make sure food does not remain in your cheek.
- Having a drink after a meal will also help to clear any remaining food out of your mouth.
- Remember that if you cannot feel one side of your mouth properly, you are at more at risk of biting your cheek. Take extra care!
Written by speech-language therapists, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed July 2023.
SourcesReview key: HISWD-121957
