Speech Problems Are a Symptom of MS

Many people can go for years suffering from isolated problems that they pay no attention to without realizing that they are a symptom of MS. Many of the most common symptoms are similar to those that are related to other ailments and many of them occur so infrequently at first that they are easy to dismiss as having an off moment in the day. However in reality if a person begins to see any of these signs on a regular basis it is time to go see a physician before the disease can advance to a more serious level. However speech problems are a noticeable symptom of the beginnings of MS.

Speech disorders are a relatively common symptom of MS with approximately 25-40 percent of those affected by multiple sclerosis and show up mostly during periods of relapse and extreme fatigue. Speech is controlled by many different areas of the brain and brain stem, thus lesions can affect it frequently depending on the number and size of the lesions. These speech difficulties are known as dysarthria and can range from mild to ones severe enough to make it difficult for the person to be understood.

The most common speech impediment that is a symptom of MS is slurred speech this may not occur on all of the words a person is saying in the beginning but may worsen as time goes on. Scanned speech is when there are long gaps between words as if the person has to find each word in their memory before they can say them.

Many times the tonal quality of the person's voice changes and can become low in volume or they may appear to be talking through their nose. Out of all of these symptoms the most embarrassing one for most people is the problem of slurred speech; this can cause public embarrassment or even accusations of drunkenness.

The best way to handle this symptom of MS is to talk to a speech therapist; they can suggest many ways to help a person overcome many of these problems. These techniques will help a person learn different ways to strengthen the muscles that have been affected and how to slow down and articulate more carefully when speaking. Breathing control is an important part of speech and learning to control it can make overcoming these issues and save the person from the embarrassment that can make them shy.