What Are The Signs Of Subclavian Steal Syndrome?

Dysphagia

Dysphagia occurs when an individual experiences difficulty with swallowing. Swallowing is a mechanism with three different steps and requires the participation and coordination of the muscles in the pharynx, mouth, and esophagus. The group of nerves in the brain that controls these muscles is referred to as the cranial nerves. The cranial nerves are a series of twelve pairs of nerves that branch off from the brainstem at the base of the brain. Tasting, smelling, seeing, moving the face, moving the eyes, shrugging the shoulders, and swallowing are all functions controlled by the cranial nerves. The swallowing mechanism involves several cranial nerves, including the trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, hypoglossal, facial, and vagus nerves. A subclavian steal syndrome patient may experience malfunctions in these nerves and the precentral gyrus of the brain when the circle of Willis pulls blood from these structures to the arm that is lacking. The shortage of oxygen from poor blood flow causes the cells that control the swallowing centers in the brain and the cranial nerves to shut down, producing dysphagia.