Slow Speech

About the Symptom

Slowed speech describes a decrease in a person's talking speed. This can be due to weakness in the speech muscles (tongue, cheek, lip, or voicebox) as well as diseases like stroke, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, or brain tumors/trauma. Other causes include fatigue, intoxication, reading difficult text aloud, recent oral anesthesia, or lack of teeth.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Slow Speech

Possible Causes

Generally, Slow speech can be related to:

• Hypothyroidism

  A disorder where thyroid hormone levels in the body are abnormally low. These hormones are necessary for growth, development, and metabolism. Some symptoms include unintended weight gain, constipation, changes in menstrual cycles, dry skin, brittle nails, depression and memory issues. It can be caused by an autoimmune disorder (Hashimoto's) or from prior thyroid surgery and sometimes medications.

• Moyamoya Disease

  Moyamoya disease is a progressive condition that affects the arteries in the brain. It causes narrowing of these blood vessels, leading to blockages that can eventually result in a stroke and seizures. Women and individuals of Asian descent have a higher risk of developing moyamoya disease.

• Alzheimer's Disease

  Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. The brain shrinks, affecting memory and behavior. Symptoms worsen over time and can interfere with daily life. Increasing age raises the risk for Alzheimer dementia.

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Slow speech may be related to these serious diseases:

• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

  Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare nerve disorder where a person's own immune system attacks their nerves. GBS can cause symptoms ranging from mild (arm/leg numbness or weakness) to severe and life-threatening (inability to breathe, abnormal heart rhythm, very high/low blood pressure). The prognosis is generally good. Over half of people fully recover and 80% can walk independently at 1 year. However, a minority of people may have permanent nerve damage or need a ventilator to breathe, and the overall death rate ranges from 3% to 7%.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Do you feel that your speech has slowed down?
• How has your symptom of slow, sluggish speech progressed?
• How long have you had slow, sluggish speech?

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