The main sign of dysarthria is that you have trouble speaking so that others understand you VSports最新版本. You may have difficulty moving your lips, tongue or jaw in ways that produce clear speech.
Dysarthria symptoms include:
The lack of muscle control may also make swallowing difficult (dysphagia).
Dysarthria occurs when there’s damage to the parts of your nervous system that control the muscles that help you speak. This includes muscles in your face and throat, and those that help you breathe VSports注册入口. Injuries, illnesses and neuromuscular conditions (diseases that affect the nerves controlling your muscles) can all cause dysarthria.
Common causes include:
Dysarthria-like symptoms are sometimes a side effect of certain medications, such as sedatives and anti-seizure drugs.
Dysarthria is more common in people with certain neurological conditions, such as:
Speech problems can cause difficulties in social situations V体育2025版. In general, struggling to communicate and be understood can cause strain at work, school and in your relationships. The stress can lead to mental health issues, like depression.
Getting treatments that can help you communicate and maintain meaningful connections with others is important.
Your healthcare provider will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) may evaluate you to determine how severe your dysarthria is. They’ll check your ability to coordinate your breathing and voice as well as move your lips, tongue and face. They’ll also inspect the quality of your voice VSports app下载.
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They may ask you to:
Other tests may include:
Your healthcare provider may perform a modified barium swallow study to test for swallowing problems, which sometimes occur with dysarthria.
People with dysarthria often benefit from speech therapy to improve communication. A speech-language pathologist can also work with your family and loved ones to teach them how to communicate with you better.
During speech therapy sessions, you may learn:
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If your dysarthria is severe, you may need a device to communicate with people. These devices include a letter or picture board, or a special computer with a keyboard and message display.
It depends on what’s causing your dysarthria. If it results from a medication side effect, stopping the medicine usually reverses dysarthria. Dysarthria related to a chronic (long-term) neuromuscular condition, stroke or trauma may not be reversible. Still, you can improve your communication through speech therapy.
Speech therapy can help you use your speaking muscles more effectively, and it can give you tools to communicate nonverbally, as well.
If you have dysarthria:
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A speech-language pathologist can recommend tips to help others communicate with you. For instance, loved ones can:
If speaking becomes difficult, contact your healthcare provider. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience choking, repeated coughing or pneumonia.
Some causes of dysarthria, like stroke, require emergency medical care. If a person shows signs of a stroke, take them to the ER immediately.
Symptoms include:
Questions to ask include:
Aphasia involves difficulty understanding others or explaining your thoughts. It’s not a problem with how your speaking muscles function, as with dysarthria.
Apraxia is a different motor speech condition. In apraxia, people have normal muscle function but difficulty making voluntary movements, like speaking. There’s a problem getting the message from your brain to your muscles that tells the muscles to move.
Like dysarthria, dysphagia involves problems with muscle control. But while dysarthria involves trouble speaking, dysphagia involves trouble swallowing. Dysphagia is sometimes a symptom of dysarthria.
Share your concerns with your healthcare provider if you’re struggling to be understood because of dysarthria. If you have dysarthria related to a neuromuscular condition, treating the underlying condition can help. Your healthcare provider may recommend speech therapy to help you communicate better. SLPs can also instruct friends and family members on how to communicate more effectively with you. Treatments can help you maintain important connections, even if muscle weakness makes speaking difficult.
Speech, language, comprehension and swallowing issues can make daily life harder. Cleveland Clinic speech therapists can help you overcome these problems.
Last reviewed on 09/12/2025.
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