Many people deal with language disorders, making it challenging to communicate with others. Sometimes, a person knows what they want to say, but there’s a disconnect between their words and thoughts.

Before we go much deeper, let’s clarify the difference between speech and language disorders.

Speech vs. Language Disorders

While “speech” and “language” are often used interchangeably, they are quite different. Speech refers to the sounds that form a language, whereas language refers to the collection of words that are used to communicate meaning.

Speech disorders affect the ability to produce sounds, while language disorders affect the ability to either communicate thoughts or understand what is being said. Both kinds of disorders can occur at any age.

Common Speech and Language Disorders

Stuttering

This is a speech disorder that interrupts the flow of speech. People who stutter have everything they want to say mapped out in their brains but have a hard time saying it. They struggle with starting sentences and often repeat sounds or words.

Many children experience some form of stuttering between the ages of 2 and 6. It only becomes an issue when the stutter doesn’t resolve within six months.

The best way to treat a stutter is to see a speech-language pathologist as soon as possible. It may not completely resolve the issue, but it should improve the flow and fluency of speech.

Apraxia

Apraxia occurs when the brain has difficulty coordinating the movements necessary for speech. Kids with childhood apraxia of speech, utter their first words later than expected and have a limited range of sounds. This is because they have difficulties positioning their jaws, lips, and tongues correctly.

Apraxia can be treated with speech therapy where patients practice how to say words and phrases with the support of a speech-language pathologist.

Dysarthria

Dysarthria is a speech disorder that is caused by weakness in the mouth, face, or throat muscles. This results in slow, monotone, or slurred speech that is hard to understand. Common causes of dysarthria include stroke, brain damage, and brain tumors.

The first step in treating dysarthria is identifying the root cause of muscle weakness. Once that has been taken care of, speech therapy may be used to regain normal speech.

Aphasia

Aphasia is a language disorder that also results from a stroke or brain damage, head trauma, or brain tumors. It affects the ability to speak and understand speech.

Severe aphasia can make communication almost impossible. The telltale signs are short and incomplete sentences that often don’t make sense, and difficulty understanding others.

This disorder may be treated with speech and language therapy. Researchers are working on medications to improve blood flow to the brain and enhance recovery, but it may be a while before testing is complete.

Speech and language problems can be scary and confusing. However, most of them can be resolved or at least improved with speech therapy. If you suspect someone close to you has a speech or language disorder, encourage them to see a speech-language pathologist as soon as possible.

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

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Eight in ten Americans look for medical information on the Internet. We just can’t help ourselves.

Unfortunately, surfing through pages and pages of information on all of the diseases that you might possibly have only increases worry and anxiety. This is why many doctors don’t recommend Googling your symptoms.

However, sometimes the temptation is too strong and you just can’t wait until your next doctor’s appointment. Here are some tips on how to research your symptoms online without increasing your anxiety.

Don’t Use Search Engines Or Message Boards

The most natural thing to do when looking for medical information online is to use a search engine like Google or Yahoo and type in your symptoms. Unfortunately, this just increases your risk of running into inaccurate information.

A better way to do it, is to go to a reputable website, such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Centers for Disease Control, and use the search bar on the site to find reliable and accurate information. Remember to bookmark these websites to find them easily when you need them.

Also, please stay away from message boards. Just because someone has similar symptoms doesn’t mean that your symptoms have the same cause.

Be Specific

Vague search terms lead to scary results, so be as specific as possible and enter as many symptoms as you can. Thankfully, this is what symptom checkers are for. Some sites like Mayo Clinic, DocResponse and Family Doctor, offer free symptom checkers that make it so much easier for you to give specific information about your symptoms.

However, researchers from Harvard Medical School have found that online symptom checkers are inconsistent and inaccurate, so don’t rely on them for diagnosis. Only about 34% of the users receive an accurate diagnosis. You still need to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

Look for Solutions

Instead of entering a vague symptom into the search bar, look for the solution. For example, instead of looking up “fatigue”, look up “how to relieve fatigue.” Solutions are much less worrisome than symptoms and are less likely to send you into full blown panic mode.

And even when you think you’ve finally found the solution you’ve been searching for, please don’t spend your hard earned money on any tests or remedies before getting a proper diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner. As always, stick to reputable websites when researching solutions and question every alternative remedy you come across to make sure it’s the real deal.

See a Doctor

“Dr. Google” is not a replacement for a qualified medical practitioner. You still need to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis (I think we’ve made our point by now).

When you do, don’t start the session by regurgitating all the information you found online. Listen first and be open to being wrong. Hear what he or she has to say and ask any question that are on your mind; write your questions on a piece of paper ahead of time so you don’t forget them in the pressure of the moment.

The best time to search for medical information online is after you have seen a doctor and received a proper diagnosis. This way, you know exactly what you’re looking for and won’t get sucked into the dark, scary rabbit hole of the Internet.

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