Speech difficulties in people with Parkinson's disease: Let's talk about this!

Parkinson's Disease is a brain disease that affects our body's movements, and sometimes makes it difficult for us to talk and communicate with others. But don't worry, there are ways to help us cope with this condition. Let's talk about it today.

How common is speech difficulty with Parkinson's disease?

In fact, many people with Parkinson's disease have difficulty speaking. Doctors call this condition dysarthria . Between 75% and 90% of the more than seven million people worldwide with Parkinson's disease, or about three in four people , may experience voice and speech problems during the course of the disease. So this is something that affects a lot of people.

Why do people with Parkinson's disease have difficulty speaking?

Simply put, Parkinson's disease affects the function of the nerves and muscles involved in our ability to speak. Think about how many things have to work together when we speak. So here are the parts that can be affected by this disease:

• Your voice box `(Larynx)` . This is the main place where we produce our voice.
• The throat and its associated muscles.
• Breathing muscles . It's hard to talk when you can't breathe properly, right?
• The palate, tongue, and lips of the mouth . These must function properly to pronounce words clearly.
• Facial muscle movements . Even facial expressions are important when we speak.
• It can also affect specific parts of the brain that control hearing, voice, and the speech process .

What kind of speech and voice problems can occur in Parkinson's disease?

If you have Parkinson's disease, you may experience these changes in speech and voice:

• The voice becomes softer, the volume becomes lower.
• A monotone voice, with no variation in tone. Like a robot.
• A hoarse voice or a feeling of being choked.
• A breathiness in the voice. This is easily understood by those listening.
• It feels like a huge effort, like a drain on energy, like the battery is "running down" while you're talking.
• Difficulty pronouncing letters and words clearly and easily.
• A tremor in the voice.
• Slurring, as if words are being slurred.
• Short rushes of speech are the rapid, continuous reading of many words at once.
• Loss of facial expression. The emotions we show on our faces when we speak decrease.

Importantly, you may not be aware of these speech changes yourself. A change in the quality of your voice is often the first sign. This is followed by an inability to speak clearly and fluently. Speech difficulties usually become severe enough to be difficult for others to understand, and this usually occurs later in the disease.

Who can I get help from for these speech difficulties?

If you have problems with your voice or speaking, it's best to see a speech-language therapist . Your family doctor or your treating physician can help you find a good therapist in your area. Some speech-language therapists are specially trained to strengthen the voices of people with Parkinson's disease, or to increase their volume. This is called Lee Silverman Voice Treatment .

Speech and language therapists are people who are specially trained to diagnose and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. If you have Parkinson's disease, a therapist can help you:

• It helps you maintain your communication skills as well as possible .
• You will even be taught ways to conserve energy, namely nonverbal communication, which involves expressing ideas through gestures and cues without words.
• We will introduce you to assistive devices and techniques to make your conversation easier.
• Special exercises are recommended to strengthen the muscles needed for speaking and improve movement.

If you have difficulty speaking, what can you do to improve communication?

Okay, now let's see what you can do to make talking to others a little easier if you have voice and speech problems. These little things can help you:

• Choose a quiet, low-noise place to talk. Turn off any loud things like the TV or radio. This will help the person listening to you hear what you are saying clearly.
• Speak slowly. Don't rush.
• When you speak, make sure the person listening can see your face. Look them in the eye and speak. Speaking in a well-lit room improves face-to-face communication and makes it easier to understand what you are saying.
• Use short sentences. Say one or two words or one or two syllables in one breath.
• Before talking to someone or making a phone call, plan to give your voice a little rest .
• Remember that fatigue can greatly affect your speaking ability. Some techniques that work in the morning may not work as well in the evening, when you're tired.
• Keep your throat hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeinated drinks (like coffee and tea) and alcohol. If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier.
• Keep your body straight, chin up, and neck slightly raised. This will help the air flow from your lungs to your voice box.
• If your voice is soft or too low, consider using an amplifier. This can help increase the volume of your voice.

If you have difficulty understanding what others are saying, what else can you do?

If you sometimes find it difficult for others to understand what you say, try these methods:

• If you can write without difficulty, always keep a pen and paper nearby. Then you can write down what you want to say and show it.
• If writing is difficult, use an alphabet board. You can point to or point to the first letter of the words you are saying.
• If you don't understand the words, spell them out loud or show them on the alphabet board.
• Before you start speaking, state the topic you are going to talk about. This will make it easier for the listener to understand.
• Use telegraphic speech. That is, speaking with fewer words, eliminating unnecessary words, and using only the meaning of the topic.
• If you don't understand a word, use synonyms, write them down, and repeat them out loud, letter by letter.
• Use gestures for words that everyone knows, like waving your hand to say "stop." Use gestures as you say the words.

What alternative communication devices can help with voice and speech problems?

If you find it difficult to speak, feel frustrated or stressed about not being able to speak, or find yourself struggling to speak, consider these tools and methods to help make your message more understandable:

• Voice amplification: This can be a portable personal amplifier or a telephone amplifier. These can be used to increase the volume of the voice of someone with a soft voice. The amplifier also reduces vocal fatigue.
• TTY telephone relay system: This is a telephone with a keyboard. You can type what you are saying and have it read to the person listening through a relay operator. You can type the entire message, or just the words you don't understand.
• Low-technology devices: Examples of low-technology assistive devices include paper-based books and boards, letter boards (where you point to the first letter of each important word you say, or say the word letter by letter), and typing devices.
• High-technology electronic speech enhancers, communication devices: Computers with voice synthesizers and speech generating devices are now available. Talk to your speech and language therapist about the high-tech devices that best suit your needs.

How can hearing people help someone who has difficulty speaking?

Here are some ways that friends and family can help make the conversation easier for someone with Parkinson's disease when they are speaking:

• Talk to the person with Parkinson's disease face to face, and look at them while they talk.
• Ask questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no."
• Repeat the part of the sentence that you understood. (For example, "What do you want me to go upstairs and get?")
• Ask him to repeat what he said, to speak a little slower, or to spell out words you don't understand.

What things should someone with Parkinson's disease and speech difficulties have in an emergency?

To prepare for an emergency, consider these things:

• Use an intercom system or baby monitor to notify others of an emergency.
• If you can't speak , use bells or buzzers. Use "codes" to indicate urgency. For example, a small bell can mean "I need to speak to someone," or an air horn can mean an emergency.
• Keep a cell phone with pre-programmed numbers. Preprogram all of your phones to automatically dial emergency numbers.
• If you're someone who spends time alone, sign up for a "Life Call" button service. You press a button on a device, usually worn around your wrist or neck, that sends a signal to a service company, who will notify your loved ones and/or your local emergency services.

Does swallowing difficulties (Dysphagia) in Parkinson's disease affect speaking?

Difficulty swallowing, a condition called dysphagia, is also common in people with Parkinson's disease. This can occur at any stage of the disease, change as the disease progresses, and worsen as symptoms worsen. Tell your doctor and/or speech and language therapist as soon as you notice that you are having difficulty swallowing. Symptoms of swallowing difficulties include: drooling, choking, coughing, difficulty swallowing pills, taking longer to eat, weight loss, and dehydration.

The most serious complication of swallowing difficulties – and one that you should see a doctor about right away – is aspiration . Aspiration is when food or liquid enters your windpipe (trachea) and then travels into your lungs. This can lead to a serious condition called aspiration pneumonia .

Although swallowing difficulties may not directly affect your ability to speak, swallowing problems and voice and speech problems often occur at the same time.

Finally, remember this.

It's common for people with Parkinson's disease to experience voice and speech difficulties, especially as the disease progresses. These problems can make it difficult for you to communicate at work, with family, and with friends. It can also affect your quality of life.

But the best thing is, a speech and language therapist can help you develop an effective treatment program that will help you improve your communication skills. So, if you have these difficulties, don't suffer alone, but definitely seek medical advice and therapeutic support. Remember, you are not alone in this journey, and there are many people who can help you.

` Parkinson's disease, speech difficulties, dysarthria, voice, communication, speech therapy, swallowing difficulties