Do you feel like your speech is slurred? Let's talk about dysarthria

Do you sometimes feel like this? Even though you have a clear idea of ​​what you want to say in your head, when it comes out of your mouth it comes out slurred, stuttered, or as if no one understands it? Does your voice sound weak, slow, or too fast? If this is the case, the cause may be a condition called dysarthria . Today, we will talk about this very simply, in a way that you can understand.

Simply put, what is dysarthria?

Dysarthria is not a problem with your language or your way of thinking. You understand words, you can form sentences, and you can think. The problem is with the muscles that help us speak. Specifically, there is damage to the part of the brain that controls your lips, tongue, vocal cords, and the diaphragm that controls breathing.

Imagine that your brain is like the CPU of a computer, and your speaking muscles are like the printer. Even though you give the command from the CPU, the printer doesn't print properly due to some error. That's what's happening here.

This situation can occur in two main ways:

1. Developmental Dysarthria: This is a condition that occurs in children. It can be caused by damage to the baby's brain either in the womb or at birth. Cerebral Palsy is a good example of this.

2. Acquired Dysarthria: This is caused by damage to the brain later in life. For example, this condition can occur in adults due to a cause such as a stroke, Parkinson's disease, or a brain tumor.

Types of Dysarthria and their characteristics

There are several types of this disease. In each type, you can see differences in the voice and speaking style. Let's look at the main types.

What can cause dysarthria?

This can be caused by any medical condition that damages the parts of the brain that control speech. Here are some of the main causes:

• Stroke: Interruption of blood flow to the brain.
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Damage to the brain from an accident.
• Parkinson 's disease: A disease of the nervous system that affects movement.
• Cerebral Palsy: A movement disorder that affects young children.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): A disease that affects the nervous system.
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): A disease that weakens the muscles .
• Brain Tumors
• Myasthenia Gravis: A disease that weakens the connection between nerves and muscles.
• Dementia: A disease that impairs memory and brain function .
• Side effects of some medications: Especially some medications taken for diseases such as epilepsy.

How to diagnose the disease?

But if this difficulty in speaking has been increasing for some time, you should definitely see a doctor . The doctor will refer you to a "Speech and Language Pathologist" (SLP).

There they check things like:

• It checks the strength of the muscles in your lips, tongue, and jaw.
• They tell you to stick out your tongue and make different sounds.
• Read a few sentences and count the numbers.
• They perform simple tasks, such as blowing out a candle.

In addition, to find the exact cause, the doctor may refer you to the following tests:

• Imaging Tests: MRI or CT scans to look at the condition of the brain.
• Blood and urine tests.
• Tests that look at brain and nerve function: things like `EEG` (Electroencephalogram) or `EMG` (Electromyography).
• Spinal Tap: If an infection is suspected.
• Swallowing study.

Treatment and management

Treatment depends on the cause, type, and symptoms of your dysarthria. Often, treating the underlying condition (such as Parkinson's disease) will help improve your speech difficulties to some extent.

However, a speech and language therapist (SLP) can help you a lot. They will tell you things like:

What the therapist teaches

• Exercises that strengthen the muscles of the mouth and jaw.
• The way to speak clearly by speaking slowly and pausing between words.
• How to control your breath to make your voice sound louder.
• How to use devices such as amplifiers that increase the volume of the voice.

Things you can do yourself

• Always keep a small notebook or smartphone with you. If someone doesn't understand what you're saying, write it down or type it out.
• Get the other person's attention before speaking.
• Whenever possible, talk face to face. This will make it easier for the other person to understand you by seeing how your lips move.
• Avoid talking in places with high noise levels (e.g. restaurants, parties).
• Use facial expressions and hand gestures to further explain your point.

How can you help family and friends?

In this situation, the support of family and loved ones is invaluable. Here are some ways to help your loved ones:

• If they don't understand something, ask them again.
• Give yourself enough time to finish speaking. Don't interrupt.
• Don't go finish your sentence.
• Repeat back to them the part of what you said that they understood and ask, "Did I understand correctly?" That way, you won't have to repeat the entire sentence.
• Don't exclude yourself from conversations, include yourself in everything.

Dysarthria is a condition that can isolate a person from society and be emotionally draining. Therefore, it is very important to seek proper medical advice and speech therapy if you have this type of difficulty.

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