Speech is a tool to communicate. Everyone will be well versed with their
mother tongue but may stammer with other languages. Addressing fluently in a
group needs confidence first. Proper learning, remembering and correlation of
thoughts add more and more lubricants for fluent speech. When one cannot speak
spontaneously and fluently with confidence following their train of thoughts,
it is called stammering. Stammering causes flickering of words like a short
circuit happened in the brain or nerves.
Stammering medically means disorder of speech, where fluency of speech is
affected with hesitations, involuntary pause(s) and repetition of words or
prolongation of sounds. It is otherwise called as stuttering. Stammerers face
difficulty while attending interviews, addressing the public, etc. As a small
spark can provoke a big fire, a small hurdle in pronouncing a word can make the
entire speech of the stammerer collapse. Repressed anxiety of the stammerer can
surface any time.
Incidences
Stammering seems to affect 2-5 per cent of children around the age of 5. It
commonly affects boys more than girls. Also, its incidence is more common in
the first born male child. The exact reason is unknown. It can descend through
genes.
Causes
Instability and pause in speech can occur for anyone at any time (mostly while
tense or in anger or when emotionally upset). Generally, stammering as a
disorder will not arise from physical problems or problems in understanding or
intelligence. It seems to occur due to instability of the brain in correlating
all the signals to trigger the vocal apparatus to produce effective speech.
Since the exact point of origin cannot be located, causes are often supposed
and not definite. Anxiety, nervousness, tension, fear, low-confidence,
situations, knowledge of language, etc., are often blamed. In some cases, in
addition to hereditary trait, researchers could note poor blood flow to speech
area (Broca’s area) and intelligence area (Wernicke’s area) in the brain.
Symptoms
Even though stammering starts around
the age of 5, it reaches its zenith by teen age. In the meantime, the sufferer
gets accustomed to managing the condition. Anyway, it can flare up any time
with emotional stress or changes. Symptoms of stammering vary from person to
person. Stammerers may have a few or most of the following symptoms:
·
Hesitation to speak
·
Difficulty in finding a proper word – feels brain had
been wired
·
May stop in the middle of a speech to come to a
standstill with fear, anxiety and tension
·
Need more time to complete speech or could not finish it
·
Loss of control over speech
·
Pause for specific word or sound in the speech
·
Swallow words often
·
Words/speech come in parts
·
Repeating the same words or using unnecessary words often
·
Can speak well with subordinates and could not with high
officials
·
While worrying more about it, it causes more and more
problems
·
Repetition of initial consonants especially with vowels –
A, E, I, O, U
·
Felt as if vocal cord gets tightened with prolongation of
sounds especially with sounds of A, P, S, T, V, X
·
Usually try to avoid eye contact (to whom they speak) to
avoid stammer
·
Speak fluently when emotionally relaxed
Diagnosis
Anyone can diagnose the stammering, but a speech therapist can analyse all
its facets to advice better management.
Complications
Stammering, if left untreated in the
initial stages, often causes inevitable complications at the emotional level.
It can reflect in the personality, behaviour, self-esteem and social
interactions. Stammerers often feel ashamed, worthless and guilty to appear in
public which can affect their career.
Management
For parents or bystanders – Parents should be aware that with effort and
training betterment can surely be attained. They can make their child fluent by
influencing them with encouragement to jump over the hurdle easily. Further,
·
Provide them good attention and make them practise
repeatedly
·
Don’t make them tense with repeated caution or reminders
since these may cause reverse effect
·
Speak slowly and clearly to them
·
Don’t make them hurry in any means at any time
For sufferers
·
Never hide the problem
·
Never get upset while stammering
·
Be bold and confident – don’t lose hope at any time
·
Concentrate on the content of the speech than the way it
is spoken
·
Don’t get tensed, always be relaxed, speak / answer
everything clearly in a slow manner
·
Do good practise to overcome the stumbling block
·
Develop speaking skill by exposing yourself repeatedly to
challenging environments
·
Build good knowledge of the language with learning and
reading
·
Build personality and better communication by following a
proper way of speaking
General treatment
There is no known specific treatment in Allopathy for stammering. They
totally depend on speech therapy and behaviour therapy for management. They
advise parents to provide good attention and support to the sufferer to build
confidence to root out fear, nervousness and anxiety.
Homeopathic approach
Even though modern system of medicines claims that stammering cannot be
cured altogether with medicines and can only be managed with behavioral and
speech therapy, Homeopathy can provide very good relief for stammerers.
Homeopathic medicines can support, set right and correlate one’s mind, nerves
and vocal apparatus to reduce pause or stammer in course of time.
Stammering, as a complaint, needs to be treated at the earliest to cope
with the situation. One should be aware that early treatment is the best treatment
since it usually preserves the confidence level, self esteem and social
interactions. Improvement of fluency in speech may vary according to efforts
taken, i.e., early treatment / attention / care, vocal practices / exercises,
alteration in environment, proper coaching, regularity in following medicines,
etc. Anyhow, early treatment and practice can make one near normal.
Homeopathic medicines commonly used in cases of stammering are Arg nit, Ars
alb, Baryta carb, Belladonna, Bovista, Calc carb, Causticum, Chamomilla,
Cicuta, Cuprum met, Ferrum picricum, Gelsemium, Hypericum, Hyoscyamus, Iodium,
Kali brom, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Nat carb, Nux vom, Opium, Stramonium, Sulphur,
Thuja, Thyroidinum, Veratrum alb, etc, These Medicines should be taken under the
advice and diagnosis of a qualified Homeopath.
for new hope
Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo Clinic
24 E. New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN 625 001
India
Tel: +91-984-319-1011 (Mob /
Whatsapp)
Clinic : +91-452-233-8833 |
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer
- The contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content
is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for
any health problem or medical condition.)