Speech and communication
Communication difficulties with MS
Around 40-50% of people with MS will find that communication is affected at some point. These symptoms may or may not be there all the time.As with other areas affected by MS, you may find communication becomes more affected during a relapse and then improves again. You may find that it is only affected when you are tired or fatigued.
The symptoms that you experience will depend on which part of the nervous system is affected but may include:
- Slurring of speech
- Changes to the speed of speech
- Speech which sounds like it comes down your nose
- Changes to the voice such as to the sound, pitch, or volume of your voice
- Difficulties with breath support for speech
- Fatigue
Although less common, MS can also affect language such as problems with
- Word finding
- The understanding or processing of the words becoming slower
- Losing track of what has been said or what you want to say
What can I do if my speech is affected?
- Reduce background noise to make it easier to be heard
- Make sure that you are facing the person you are talking to and that you have their attention before you start to speak
- Use shorter sentences
- Take time to pause for breath
- Slow down the speed of your speech
- Have rest periods if you find that your speech fatigues
What can I do if my language is affected?
- Try to remain calm as stress will often make it harder to find the word
- Try to use other words to explain what you want to say
- Plan ahead, for example, if you are going out to a party you may want to note down people's names before you go
- Reduce background noise and distractions as this may impact on processing of what is said
- If you can't find a word, you could try the following:
- Think of other words which are associated with the one you want
- Go through the alphabet to see if this helps activate the word
- Describe the word to someone, e.g., what group does it belong to, where do you find it, what does it look like, what does it do?
Links for further information
https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/signs-and-symptoms/speech/managing-speech-problems