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Dysarthria: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Dysarthria: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options
  • Oct 10, 2024
  • S&L Therapy

Dysarthria: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Dysarthria is a neurologic speech disorder-a problem involving the nervous system-in which the muscles used for speaking are weak or paralyzed, affecting the way speech sounds are formed. Dysarthria may lead to slurred, slow, or hard to understand speech. The cause of dysarthria generally relates to some type of nervous system injury that creates problems with the characteristic coordination and movement control in speaking muscles.

Causes of Dysarthria:

Dysarthria can be caused by the following neurological conditions:

Stroke: It typically involves an interruption to the flow of blood to the brain and, therefore, causes damage to those parts that are responsible for speech.

Traumatic Brain Injuries: Since these result from blows to the head or skull, they might damage nerves and muscles responsible for speech.

Neurodegenerative Disorders: Conditions such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) all involve progressive damage to the nervous system responsible for dysarthria.

Cerebral palsy: A neurological disorder present at birth or early years of life can affect the muscles used in speaking.

Medications: Some medications have side effects that can result in changes in speech, for example, slurred speech and poor articulation of words.

Symptoms of Dysarthria:

As mentioned earlier, there are multiple forms of dysarthria; it really depends upon the cause. The common symptoms include:

  • Slurred speech: The words may sound muzzy and indistinct.
  • Slow speech: Speech is much slower than normal.
  • Difficulty articulating sounds: Slurred sounds or words.
  • Changes in Voice Quality: Hoarse, breathy, or strained voice.
  • Drooling: Problems with control of saliva.
  • Facial weakness: Partial or total paralysis of the facial muscles.

Treatment for Dysarthria:

There is no cure for dysarthria, but there is the possibility of considerable improvement in communication through speech therapy. A speech-language pathologist can work with the patient with dysarthria by:

  • Reinforcing the muscles of the affected: Muscle-strengthening exercises, along with coordination.
  • Articulation improvement: Techniques in saying words more effectively.
  • Teaching compensatory strategies: Helping the individuals learn different ways in which to communicate, using gestures or assistive technology.
  • Addressing swallowing difficulties: Dysarthria quite often comes hand in hand with difficulty in swallowing, for which specific therapy exists.

Slurred Speech Therapy

Slurred speech requires professional help in case of constant symptoms or if it is a cause for concern for both you or your loved one. Dysarthria speech therapy can be effective and efficient in treating the disorder, thereby helping to improve communication skills.

Dysarthria Therapy:

This way, dysarthria treatment can take several approaches about the patient's needs. This are:

  • Exercises to strengthen muscles: The muscles responsible for talking are targeted.
  • Practicing articulation of speech sounds: pronunciation should be clearly brought out.
  • Prosody training: Practicing intonation, rhythm, and stress patterns of speech.
  • Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): This includes the use of accessories or techniques to augment speech-for example, gestures, pictures, and speech-generating devices.

SLT Therapy London:

If you are looking for dysarthria treatment in London, SLT London has many professional speech-language pathologists who specialize in this condition. You can use the internet and search about "slt therapy London" or contact us through website

Conclusion :

It is a challenging condition; however, it is one with which the appropriate medication and support could enable such individuals to work on improving their communication skills and, by extension, their quality of life. If you or someone you know is struggling with slurred speech, find a qualified speech-language pathologist near you today.

Want to take it to the next step? Contact our team today at https://sltlondon.com/ and learn more about how our dysarthric therapy services can support you or your loved one.

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