Parkinson's disease and speech problems

One of the worst aspects of Parkinson's disease is the problems it causes with a persons speech. Indeed there are some people who have Parkinson's disease who consider that being unable to communicate in an intelligible way is the final straw as many people who listen to them trying to communicate information also often assume they have some type of dementia because of the difficulties they are experiencing.

It is thought that between 60-90% of Parkinson's disease sufferers will eventually have problems with their speech, and these problems can manifest in specific ways which include speaking in either a monotone or unintelligible rubbish. Sometimes they seem to hesitate before actually speaking which can give the impression that there is some memory impairment or dementia. Sometimes speech is faster than normal, and very often the same words are repeated. This can again give the impression of the person suffering from dementia or memory impairment.

Another speech problem associated with Parkinson's disease is a condition called dysarthria. This speech impediment manifests itself in ways such as a weak slow or incoherent speech. As both the pitch and volume of speech is also affected by dysarthria, eventually speech becomes unintelligible. Dysarthria is due to the speech muscles becoming weak and uncoordinated because of the Parkinson's condition. The severity of the dysarthria can vary in severity. In some people it can become very severe and in others it may only manifest as a slight problem.

If someone is suffering from this kind of speech impediment, then offering speech therapy can sometimes help and show improvements. If speech therapy is carefully introduced to complement the medication being given then often extremely good results can be achieved.

Exercises to improve vocal cords and muscles can also assist in improving speech impediments caused by Parkinson's disease. A regular exercise program can prove to be very effective.

It's important that a person with Parkinson's disease who is also suffering from a speech impediment is treated with respect and consideration. They need time to formulate their speech and deliver whatever they want to say. It can be very frustrating for the person who is speaking to them to wait for them to deliver a sentence, and it is always a temptation to ask questions etc of the person or carer who is accompanying the sufferer.

It should be remembered that Parkinson's disease robs a person of much; it’s a shame if as communicators we rob them of the chance to communicate for themselves before the time actually comes when they are unable to converse with others as a matter of course.