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DYSARTHRIA (SLURRED SPEECH) IN THE ELDERLY​

What is Dysarthria?

 

Dysarthria is a speech disorder in general, and not difficulty in pronouncing individual sounds, as a result of insufficient innervation of the organs of the speech apparatus: ligaments, tongue, muscles of the soft palate, lips, respiratory and facial muscles. This disease can have consequences in the form of impaired writing, reading and behavior.

In the vast majority of cases (more than 80%), dysarthria is accompanied by CP (cerebral palsy) and is caused by the same disorders in the central nervous system. These disorders can occur both during pregnancy and in the first two years of life, as well as in adulthood.

What can cause Dysarthria?

The main causes of dysarthria may include:

  • Hypoxia
  • Toxicosis during pregnancy
  • Rhesus conflict
  • Diseases of the mother
  • Birth injuries and pregnancy pathologies
  • Encephalitis, meningitis
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Otitis media of the middle ear
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Intoxication of the body
  • Stroke
  • Brain tumors
  • Multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, etc.

Dysarthria Symptoms

Treatment of various types of speech disorders always takes place in a complex with the help of three main directions: speech therapy, physical therapy, drug therapy.

When making a diagnosis, the speech therapist takes into account the overall picture of the child’s speech development, and the neurologist also relies on the pregnancy history. When speech correction is performed by a speech therapist, game methods are used, the program is developed individually for each child. Physical therapy for articulatory muscles and speech therapy massage play an important role in speech correction. For successful correction, it is extremely important to identify violations at an early stage.

Since dysarthria, as a rule, manifests itself against the background of diseases of the central nervous system, drug therapy is necessary, which uses: nootropic substances, drugs for blood vessels, sedatives, drugs that stimulate metabolism.

Note that severe dysarthria does not respond to complete treatment, in such cases, therapy is aimed at maximizing the restoration of speech functions and the socialization of the child.

In fact, dystrophia should be treated only by a doctor. However, there are some general recommendations to follow;

  • Try not to speak faster and louder at once. 
  • Little by little train your lips and tongue. 
  • Use breathing techniques
  • Avoid noise 
  • If you are in a crowded place try not to speak too much. Instead, use smartphones or notebooks.

Dysarthria development

In speech therapy, dysarthria is divided according to the principle of the severity of symptoms and intelligibility of speech for listeners. Thus, experts distinguish 4 degrees of the disease.

Level 1- erased dysarthria. In this case, the symptoms are almost not observed and in most cases, only a speech therapist can identify them. In children, such disorders are detected at the age of about 5 years. Symptoms of erased dysarthria can be swallowing or distortion of syllables and sounds, poor diction, generally expressionless speech.

Level 2 (typical) – when pronunciation defects are clearly visible, but the speech remains understandable to the listener.

Level 3 (severe) – speech is significantly disrupted and is available for understanding only by loved ones

Level 4 – severe speech disorders – complete misunderstanding by others or absolute absence.

How to live with dysarthria? Tips for the patients

In case you have dysarthria, besides seeing a doctor, you can follow some general tips to ease the process. 

  • First of all, start talking with a word before saying something long.
  • Speak slower and louder
  • Relax. Have a rest.
  • If you’re tired don’t speak. Try to point, draw, write, etc. 

As a matter of fact, dystrophia is a disease that can develop in every phase of your life. However, it’s more common in the elderly and has its own specifications. Whenever you feel like you or your relatives have speech disorders, don’t hesitate to see a doctor. It’s always easier to prevent than to treat.

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