Dysphonia is when your voice is changed by the effects of MS on your voice box (larynx). This happens if MS activity affects the areas of your brain that control the voice box muscles. Dysphonia can affect how well you can control volume and pitch (how high or low your voice is).
Problems with how you speak can be a symptom of multiple sclerosis for some people. MS speech disorders include slurring of speech and problems with the quality of your voice (dysarthria) and difficulty remembering specific words (dysphasia).
Common MS speech problems
Not being able to control the volume or pitch of your voice. Sounding “nasally” – like you're speaking through your nose. Having long pauses between words or syllables. Hoarseness – a hoarse voice means your voice sounds breathy, raspy or strained.
Feeling fatigued is one of the most common and troublesome symptoms of MS. It's often described as an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that means it can be a struggle to carry out even the simplest activities.
Dysphonia is difficulty speaking due to a reduced control of the muscles of your lips, mouth, tongue, throat, and/or vocal cords. In multiple sclerosis (MS), dysphonia often means trouble controlling the volume of speech, meaning speaking too softly to be heard or more loudly than is appropriate.
MS is a chronic neurological disease characterized by episodes of dysfunction of the nervous system that increase and decrease (remit and recur) over several decades. Commonly, long periods of normal function occur in between these episodes. Voice symptoms may include hoarseness and poor control of volume and pitch.
Chronic hoarseness for more than two weeks (such as a raspy or breathy voice, a voice quiver, or a strained or choppy voice) Pain or a lump in the throat when speaking. Changes in pitch. Odd sounding speech.
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
MS can occur at any age, but onset usually occurs around 20 and 40 years of age. However, younger and older people can be affected.
Stress: In addition to headaches, stomachaches, and tight muscles, stress may also affect the way your voice sounds. Overuse: If you've been talking or singing much more than normal, you could be straining your vocal cords. Polyps or Cysts: Growths on your vocal cords could change your voice.
When you hear your own voice when you speak, it's due to a blend of both external and internal conduction, and internal bone conduction appears to boost the lower frequencies. For this reason, people generally perceive their voice as deeper and richer when they speak.
MS can affect the strength and coordination of the muscles in the mouth and throat. As a result, a person may feel as though they have something stuck in their throat, or they may choke on their food or drink. Treatment options often involve lifestyle modifications that help a person avoid issues with swallowing food.
Myasthenia gravis is felt by most laryngologists to be a rare cause of isolated hoarseness.
Spasmodic dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dystonia, is a neurologic disorder that can affect the voice and speech. It is a lifelong condition that causes the muscles that generate a person's voice to go into periods of spasm. In some cases, the disorder is temporary or can be improved through treatment.
It's very common for multiple sclerosis to cause eye problems, and many people with MS have problems with their vision at one time or another. The most common problems with vision in MS are: optic neuritis. double vision (diplopia)
Multiple sclerosis itself is not usually lethal, but it can increase the risk of long-term complications, such as infections or trouble swallowing, that can potentially shorten survival. On average, longevity is about five to 10 years shorter in people with MS.
Contents. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild.
“MS is diagnosed most commonly in the ages between 20 and 50. It can occur in children and teens, and those older than 50,” said Smith. “But it can go unrecognized for years.”
Blood Tests: Currently, there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, but they can be used to rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Muscle spasms and stiffness: Formally called spasticity, this symptom can range from mild feelings of muscle tightness to severe and painful spasms, according to the National MS Society, and it most commonly affects the legs.
Common vocal cord disorders include laryngitis, vocal polyps, vocal nodules, and vocal cord paralysis. Most disorders are caused by abuse or overuse of the voice, or by medical conditions such as asthma or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). They can also be caused by a respiratory infection or a virus.
Why is my voice hoarse but my throat doesn't hurt? A hoarse voice without a sore throat can occur when a non-inflammatory condition has caused loss of vocal cord function. This can be caused by overuse like yelling or speaking in an abnormal tone for long periods of time.
If your voice is tired, your throat feels tight, or it hurts to talk, you may have muscle tension dysphonia, or voice strain caused by muscle tightness. This common voice problem can occur even if your vocal cords are normal but the muscles in your throat are working inefficiently.