When words fail: MS and speech difficulties

Do you ever trip up in your talk? Multiple sclerosis warriors know all about tripping. We can stumble in our steps. We can fall over our own feet or even trip going upstairs. But we can also stagger when we speak.

We’re not tongue-tied or at a loss for words. The cat has not got our tongues. It’s the MS MonSter, striking again. And this time, it’s messing with our mouths. Doctors call it dysphasia.

 

Dysphasia is different from dysphagia, but some MSers can have both.

Dysphasia is about speech issues. For those with MS, it often shows up when we inadvertently substitute one word for another or mix up word orders in our sentences. Personally, I sometimes say the wrong word, but it starts with the same letter (or phonetic sound) as the word I mean to say. For example, I might say:

garbage instead of garage

cluck instead of clock

willow instead of window

constant instead of consistent

design instead of device

When this happens, it isn’t that we aren’t thinking clearly. We know what we mean. The wrong word just comes out. It’s like a blip of static, or like our tongues aren’t listening clearly to our brains for a moment.

It’s not exactly stuttering. Most of us actually come out with recognizable words. They’re just the wrong words, when dysphasia does its thing. And we’re not plunging unintentionally into profanity (like in Tourette’s). We’re just confusing verbage. And we know it, when we hear it. 

Usually, we can sort of laugh it off, but it can also be rather frustrating. And it only happens when we speak out loud, not when we write. 

Some MSers experience expressive dysphasia, which means they cannot recall vocabulary that they actually know and have trouble forming speech (at least momentarily). Those who struggle to process and comprehend others’ speech may have receptive dysphasia. Any of this can crop up with MS, but these manifestations are usually temporary (or intermittent).

Others with MS may experience slurred or slowed speech, vocal weakness, or difficulties with pitch or volume. This points to a speech disorder called dysarthria.

Dysphagia refers to a difficulty in swallowing. This might include gagging, choking, or a feeling that food is stuck in one’s throat. That’s also common with MSers, and considerably more concerning than a few mixed-up words.

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Adapted by this user from public domain image

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