CalcPT

Dysphagia

EAT-10 Calculator

Score the 10-item Eating Assessment Tool. Each item is rated 0 (no problem) to 4 (severe problem). Totals ≥ 3 flag elevated risk (Belafsky 2008).

1My swallowing problem has caused me to lose weight.

Item 1 response

2My swallowing problem interferes with my ability to go out for meals.

Item 2 response

3Swallowing liquids takes extra effort.

Item 3 response

4Swallowing solids takes extra effort.

Item 4 response

5Swallowing pills takes extra effort.

Item 5 response

6Swallowing is painful.

Item 6 response

7The pleasure of eating is affected by my swallowing.

Item 7 response

8When I swallow food sticks in my throat.

Item 8 response

9I cough when I eat.

Item 9 response

10Swallowing is stressful.

Item 10 response

EAT-10 score

0 of 10 answered

In progress — 0 of 10

Complete every item to see the total and interpretation.

About the EAT-10

The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) is a brief, patient-reported symptom screen developed by Belafsky and colleagues at UC Davis and published in 2008. It consists of 10 statements about common symptoms and consequences of dysphagia — effortful swallowing of liquids, solids, or pills; coughing with meals; pain on swallowing; social and emotional impact; and weight loss. Each statement is rated on a five-point Likert scale from 0 (no problem) to 4 (severe problem), yielding a total score between 0 and 40.

Interpreting the total

In the original validation study, a total score of 3 or greater distinguished individuals with dysphagia from healthy controls with good sensitivity. Clinically, the EAT-10 is used as a rapid, low-cost screen — a score at or above the cutoff is a signal to pursue a clinical swallow evaluation, and, if indicated, an instrumental assessment such as a videofluoroscopic swallow study or a fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. A score below 3 does not rule out dysphagia — especially in silent aspirators or patients with limited insight into their symptoms — but it does reduce the prior probability and can be documented as part of the clinical reasoning.

Clinical context

The EAT-10 has been used across a wide variety of populations since publication: head and neck cancer survivors, stroke patients, patients with neurodegenerative disease, elective surgery patients undergoing preoperative screening, and older adults in community and long-term care settings. Its brevity (typically completed in under two minutes), strong psychometric properties in the original validation, and availability in many language translations make it one of the most widely adopted self-report dysphagia screens in practice. It is complementary to — not a substitute for — clinician rating scales such as the Functional Oral Intake Scale or the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale, and to instrumental assessment.

Limitations to keep in mind

Because the EAT-10 is self-report, it requires a patient who can read (or hear) the items and reliably rate their own symptoms. It is not appropriate as a stand-alone tool in patients with significant cognitive impairment, limited health literacy without caregiver support, or in children. It also does not capture silent aspiration, in which there are no symptoms the patient perceives. As always, the total is a trigger for clinical reasoning, not a diagnosis.

Primary source: Belafsky PC, Mouadeb DA, Rees CJ, Pryor JC, Postma GN, Allen J, Leonard RJ. Validity and reliability of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10). Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology. 2008;117(12):919-924.

Frequently asked questions

What does the EAT-10 measure?
The EAT-10 is a 10-item self-report symptom screen for dysphagia-related difficulties with eating, swallowing, and quality of life. Each item is scored 0 (no problem) through 4 (severe problem); totals range from 0 to 40.
What score is considered abnormal?
A total of 3 or greater was reported by Belafsky and colleagues (2008) as the validated cutoff that distinguishes individuals with dysphagia from healthy controls. A score at or above that cutoff warrants further evaluation.
Can the EAT-10 replace an instrumental swallow evaluation?
No. It is a patient-reported symptom screen. A positive EAT-10 score raises clinical suspicion and can justify further workup, but it does not diagnose dysphagia on its own and does not replace videofluoroscopy, FEES, or a full clinical swallow evaluation when one is indicated.
Is EAT-10 suitable for all populations?
It was validated primarily in adult outpatient populations. It has since been used in a wide variety of clinical groups, but clinicians should apply judgment when using it with patients who have cognitive or communicative impairments that would affect the reliability of self-report.
Can I use the EAT-10 in pediatric care?
The EAT-10 was developed and validated in adults. Pediatric-specific dysphagia screens exist and are a better fit for children.
Is the EAT-10 free to use clinically?
The developers published the EAT-10 for clinical distribution. CalcPT displays the 10 items in their original wording and cites the primary source on every page.

See more dysphagia tools on the Dysphagia Suite hub.