What Causes Speech Difficulty in Elderly People?

Speech disorder in aged people is generally an indication of an underlying health problem rather than a typical feature of old age. Relatives may observe the patient to have slurred speech, word finding difficulties, a weakened voice, the inability to form sentences, etc. Such changes should be checked without delay. A call to a top neurologist in Chennai may result in a timely diagnosis and treatment before the disorder takes a bad turn.

Speech is the result of interaction between the brain, nerves, muscles, and blood supply. If any disrupting factor interferes with the system, one can have trouble with speech, either abruptly or over time.  

Neurological causes of speech difficulty

Older adults often develop speech problems due to common neurological disorders that impact language processing by damaging the part of the brain that processes language and/or muscle control over the production of speech sounds.

Causes of speech difficulties may include:

• Stroke:  may result in slurred speech or inability to speak
• Parkinson’s disease:  resulting in speech that may be slow, quiet or difficult to understand
• dementia, affecting recall of words and how we process language
• A head injury or tumour disrupting the signals sent through our nerves

It is important to complete an accurate neurological assessment because many of these symptoms overlap.

The connection between heart health and speech

Speech impairment has a close relationship with the condition of the cardiovascular system.

Atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and carotid artery disease are some of the heart problems that cause strokes. Brain areas responsible for speech are very sensitive to a lack of oxygen and nutrients due to decreased blood flow.

Initially, thorough cardiac examination is warranted when there is a change in speech. A cardiology hospital can provide the necessary treatment for the diagnosis of cardiac risk factors to prevent the recurrence of stroke or further loss of speech.

Other contributing factors

Many variables can lead to difficulties with communicating verbally, including:

• Loss of hearing.
• Ill-fitting dentures
• Dry mouth or weak muscle tone in your face.
• Side effects from taking medication.

Eliminating some or all of these variables can dramatically help an individual’s communication ability.

Why early diagnosis matters

If a speech disorder is not addressed at its root cause, it will likely get progressively worse. The sooner a speech disorder is diagnosed, especially after having experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI), the greater the likelihood of improving recovery through the use of speech therapy, medication and rehab.

Elderly individuals’ speech problems shouldn’t be disregarded as a sign of ageing but instead as potentially serious indications of underlying neurological or cardiovascular problems. Integrated cardio-neurology therapy at Sugam Hospital can facilitate early detection and effective therapy; thus, the role of assessment in the best cardiology hospital in Chennai becomes pivotal in preventing speech loss resulting from a stroke and maintaining both communication ability and the quality of life.