Dysarthria is a speech disorder due to weakness in the function of the muscles used for speech. Dysarthria is generally triggered by disorders of the nervous system that affect the movements of the lips, tongue, vocal cords and diaphragm so that these organs do not function normally
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| Dysarthria, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications |
In addition to disorders of the nervous system, other conditions that cause facial paralysis, as well as weakness in the muscles of the tongue or throat, can also cause dysarthria. In some cases, dysarthria can also be caused by side effects of certain drugs.
Dysarthria does not affect the intelligence of the sufferer. Even so, some people with dysarthria can also experience problems understanding something.
Causes of Dysarthria
People with dysarthria have difficulty controlling speech muscles due to certain medical conditions. Some medical conditions that can cause dysarthria are:
- Severe head injury
- Brain infection
- Brain inflammation (encephalitis)
- Brain tumor
- Strokes
- Huntington's disease
- Wilson's disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Lyme disease
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease
- Weak muscles (muscular dystrophy)
- Myasthenia gravis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Paralysis of the brain (cerebral palsy)
- Bell's palsy
- Injury to the tongue
- Drug abuse
Dysarthria symptoms
The main symptom of dysarthria is a change in the way you speak. In addition, there are other complaints that can be found in people with dysarthria, namely:
- Talking too fast or too slow without realizing it
- His speech sounded unclear, like mumbling or disjointed
- Difficulty moving the lips, jaw, tongue, or facial muscles
- Hoarse, gasping, or nasal sound
- Talk lisp
- Monotonous tone of voice
- Unusual rhythm when speaking
- Not able to speak loudly
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) which can cause saliva to come out uncontrollably
When to see a doctor
Dysarthria can be a sign of a serious condition. Therefore, immediately call the ambulance service at number 119 if you see someone who has a sudden or unreasonable change in the way he speaks, and is accompanied by other symptoms of dysarthria. If possible, take the patient to the emergency room to get help immediately.
Diagnostics of dysarthria
The doctor will first ask about the patient's symptoms and medical history. Next, the doctor will examine the ability to speak and determine the type of dysarthria, including evaluating the strength of the lips, tongue and jaw muscles when the patient speaks.
The doctor will also ask the patient to do the following:
- Biting the lower lip
- Blowing the candle
- Counting numbers
- Makes a variety of sounds
- Sing
- Sticking her tongue out
- Read writing
In addition to the above examinations, the doctor will also carry out neuropsychological tests, to measure the patient's thinking (cognitive) ability and understanding of reading, speaking, and writing.
After that, there are several supporting examinations that doctors usually do to find out the cause of dysarthria, namely:
- Scanning with an MRI or CT scan, to examine the brain, head and neck in more detail
- Examination of the brain and nerves by electroencephalography (EEG) or electromyography (EMG), to measure electrical activity in the brain and nerves
- Blood and urine tests, to detect infection or inflammation
- Lumbar puncture, by taking a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for further study in the laboratory
- Brain biopsy by taking a sample of brain tissue, to see if there is a tumor in the brain
Dysarthria Treatment
Treatment of dysarthria aims to address the cause first. In dysarthria caused by a tumor, the doctor will perform surgery to remove the tumor, followed by speech therapy to improve the patient's ability to speak and communicate.
The therapy that the patient undergoes will be adjusted to the type and severity of dysarthria, including:
- Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the mouth
- Therapy to speak more slowly
- Therapy to speak louder and clearer
- Therapy for chewing and swallowing
If speech therapy is deemed ineffective, the doctor will advise the patient to use other ways of communicating, such as using sign language, as well as using an alphabet board or computer-based device.
Doctors will also provide the following tips to help patients communicate:
- Take a deep breath before starting to speak.
- Mention one topic before explaining the whole sentence so that the other person knows what topic is being discussed.
- Ask the other person to make sure that the other person really understands what is going to be said.
- Grab the other person's attention before speaking, for example by touching their limbs or calling their name.
- Speak more slowly and pause so the conversation becomes clearer.
- Use a notebook or a device such as a cell phone to make it easier to explain something to the other person.
- Avoid communicating with other people in noisy places and look for a quiet atmosphere so you can speak clearly.
- Don't talk too much when you're tired, because it can make speech difficult to understand.
Dyarthria complications
Dysarthria sufferers can experience personality changes, impaired social interaction, and emotional disturbances. In addition, communication disorders can cause dysarthria sufferers to feel isolated and tend to get a bad stigma.
Difficulty communicating due to dysarthria can also cause children to be frustrated, and experience changes in emotions and behavior. This can interfere with the learning process and the development of children's character.
In order to avoid this condition, people with dysarthria need support from their family and loved ones to maintain their quality of life and help them communicate.
Dysarthria Prevention
Although not all can be prevented, there are several causes of dysarthria that can be prevented with healthy habits and lifestyle, such as:
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Limiting foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat and salt
- Do not take drugs without a prescription from a doctor
- Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages
- Quit smoking
- Take regular medication if you have diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension)
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