SPEECH - LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY: FAQ's

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1. Since my last illness I have had difficulty speaking. How long will this last?
   
   Speech-language disabilities can last varying lengths of time or, in some cases, may be permanent. A physician and a speech pathologist should be consulted to determine the extent of your particular disability to determine if it can be helped with speech therapy or if it is a permanent condition.
   
   
   
2. I have difficulty speaking since I suffered a stroke. I have received speech therapy, but wonder if I will speak the same as I did before?
   
   When a stroke or CVA occurs, part of the brain is affected. Often the speech center is affected so that speaking is difficult. This may be from a motor programming impairment of the speech musculature or it may be because of muscle weakness in the voice-producing structures. If the muscles have been affected, speech fluency and voice quality may never be the same.
   
   
   
3. Why don't people understand me when I talk?
   
   Aphasia is a problem that can develop when a patient has a stroke. Expressive aphasia can manifest itself in a way that the patient would have difficulty finding the appropriate word(s) to use or formulate spoken words to produce sentences.. A person may be able to talk perfectly but not be able to understand another person. This would be called receptive aphasia.
   
   
   
4. What does it mean when I experience difficulty swallowing and develop an above-normal temperature at the same time?
   
   When swallowing, proper muscle control should prevent food from entering the breathing passages. If one is experiencing difficulty swallowing, it is possible that the food or liquid being swallowed is actually "leaking" into the breathing passages thus causing an infection. Swallowing disorders are often referred to as dysphagia.