May 18th is National Speech Pathologist Day, the perfect time to celebrate all the wonderful ways speech pathologists like our own expert Ann Smith help patients with their speech and language needs. Let’s take a look at what a speech-language pathologist does and a few conditions your Midwest ENT expert can guide you through in honor of this important holiday.
What Is a Speech-Language Pathologist?
A speech-language pathologist treats speech and swallowing disorders. A few ways your pathologist can help you include:
- Improving speech
- Improving speech comprehension
- Helping you communicate in social settings
- Teaching alternative means of communication when speech is limited
- Teaching safe swallowing
Common Speech Disorders
The two main types of speech disorders are articulation and phonological:
- Articulation disorders include those who have trouble making sounds with their muscles as they speak. Sounds may be substituted, omitted, added or distorted. Common examples of articulation disorders include substituting “r” with “w” or “th” with “s,” speaking with a lisp or shortening words.
- Phonological disorders involve patterns of sound errors. While the muscles may form sounds correctly, mistakes present in groups of words. For example, while you may be able to make a “d” sound on its own, it may be swapped with a “g” when said in a complete word (“dog” vs “gog”).
Your speech-language pathologist can help identify and improve your speech disorders through exercises and sound formation practices.
Difficulty Swallowing
Difficulty swallowing, or dysphasia, is categorized as oral (food is unable to move from the mouth to the throat), pharyngeal (food is unable to move down the throat) or esophageal (food is unable to move down the esophagus). Symptoms of dysphagia may include the following:
- Difficulty swallowing food or liquid
- Regurgitation
- Frequent choking
- Coughing during or after eating
- Painful swallowing
- Nasal regurgitation
Your pathologist can help you identify the underlying cause of dysphagia and offer the best solution, whether medication, lifestyle changes, medical therapy or exercises to strengthen the swallowing muscles.
To learn more about managing speech and swallowing disorders in honor of National Speech Pathologist Day, call the experts at Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists today.