At least that’s what I imagine it feeling like…I’ve never
actually swallowed a chicken bone.
And I don’t plan on it…
By now there should be no secret that Multiple Sclerosis
affects lots of people in lots of different ways. It is painful, and there are
a lot of life altering issues that come with MS.
I have previously talked about swallowing issues that I
have, and that’s a scary thing to have when it comes to eating; it’s just
annoying the rest of the time.
People with multiple
sclerosis, or MS, often have trouble swallowing, a problem called
dysphagia. It can also lead to speech problems. It happens when the disease
damages the nerves in the brain
and spinal cord that make these tasks happen.
Symptoms of a Swallowing Problem
You might:
Cough or choke when
you eat
Feel like food is lodged in your throat
That feeling of food or something lodged in your throat is
annoying, it seems to always be with me, and is a very relevant part of my
swallowing issues.
But…
That’s not what I am talking about in this article (even
though it plays a part of it).
Have you ever heard of “MS Voice”?
I swear that the Multiple Sclerosis marketing team must be
George Foreman fans, because they stamp their name on everything. I know that
George Foreman isn’t behind MS, because otherwise it would be called “George’s
Disease”, “A Hug from George”, “George’s Voice”, etc., etc.
If you don’t know what I am talking about, Google “George
Foreman”, because that dude loves his name…from his grills to his kids...everything is named George.
Anyways…
“MS Voice” is when you have speech issues due to Multiple
Sclerosis. It can range from the tone of your voice, to the level (loudness) of
your voice, all the way to not being able to speak at all.
Have you heard the about aphonia?
It literally means “no voice”.
Aphonia is defined
as:
Loss of voice (also called aphonia)
may take several different forms. You may have a partial loss of your voice and
it may sound hoarse. Or, you may have complete loss of your voice and it may
sound like a whisper. Loss of voice can come on slowly or quickly depending on
the cause.
Did you also know?
Speech problems are common in
people with MS and may include lack of precision in articulation, loss of
conversational flow, and difficulty with speaking rate, loudness, or vocal
quality. These problems can have a pronounced negative impact on the ability to
communicate and, therefore, on quality of life…
Abrupt changes in pitch,
control, or loudness in people with MS are often caused by a lesion in a part
of your brain called the cerebellum, which controls complex voluntary muscle
movements, such as those involved in speech. Lesions in this part of the brain
cause tremors, also known as ataxia, which can affect a wide range of muscles,
from leg and arm muscles, to your head, vocal cords, and tongue. Tremors in
your vocal cords can result in sudden elongation of the vocal cords, causing
high pitch, or sudden shortening/loosening of the cords, causing low pitch.
When you lose your voice completely mid-sentence, which is called aphonia, what
happens is that the vocal folds or vocal cords separate suddenly and
unexpectedly.
Ok, but what does this have to do with swallowing an
imaginary chicken bone?
A lot…
For me there have been times when I can no longer speak, and
when I can my voice is very quiet and raspy. My throat hurts. Not like a sore
throat, but like I swallowed glass or a chicken bone. I cannot get my words
out. There are long pauses and gaps in my speech when I can talk. My eyes
water.
Eventually I lose the ability to speak for a moment. It lasts
for a minute, and then I spend the next few minutes to an hour clearing my
throat because it feels like something is stuck in it.
Glossopharyngeal
neuralgia is an irritation of the ninth cranial nerve causing extreme pain in
the back of the throat, tongue and ear. Attacks of intense, electric shock-like
pain can occur without warning or can be triggered by swallowing…
Patients describe
an attack as a burning or jabbing pain, or as an electrical shock that may last
a few seconds or minutes. Swallowing, chewing, talking, coughing, yawning or
laughing can trigger an attack. Some people describe the feeling of a sharp
object lodged in the throat…
Many believe that
the protective sheath of the nerve deteriorates, sending abnormal messages.
Like static in a telephone line, these abnormalities disrupt the normal signal
of the nerve and cause pain. Most often the damage is from a blood vessel
compressing the nerve. Other causes include
aging, multiple sclerosis, and nearby tumors.
Glossopharyngeal
neuralgia is caused by an improperly functioning glossopharyngeal nerve. The
reason for this malfunction cannot usually be determined, but often it is the
result of an artery putting pressure on the nerve. The condition can also develop as a
result of nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis, and less frequently, as the result
of a tumor putting pressure on the glossopharyngeal nerve.
(https://www.sharecare.com/health/glossopharyngeal-neuralgia/what-causes-glossopharyngeal-neuralgia)
As I have said, and as you know…
MS is a painful disease.
And since we have been talking about the mouth and throat in
relation to talking and swallowing, let’s look at something else concerning the
face.
You know…for the fun of it…
What Is
Trigeminal Neuralgia?
The trigeminal nerve carries signals between the brain and the face.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a painful condition in which this nerve becomes
irritated.
The trigeminal nerve is one of 12 sets of cranial nerves. It’s responsible
for sending feeling or sensation from the brain to the face. The trigeminal
nerve is actually a pair of nerves: one extends along the left side of the
face, and one runs along the right side. Each of those nerves has three
branches, which is why it’s called the trigeminal nerve.
Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia range from a constant ache to a sudden
intense stabbing pain in the jaw or face. Pain can be triggered by something as
simple as washing your face, brushing your teeth, or talking. Some people feel
warning signs like tingling or achiness prior to onset of pain. The pain may
feel like an electric shock or a burning sensation. It can last anywhere from a
few seconds to several minutes. In severe cases, it may last as long as an
hour.
About half of people with multiple
sclerosis (MS) suffer from chronic pain, according to the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society. Trigeminal neuralgia can be a source of extreme
pain in MS patients, and it’s known to be an early symptom of the condition.
Why is this
important?
Because
there are cases that people loose muscle control due to rouge nerves.
I’m not
talking about the pain because that’s a given.
I’m talking
specifically (in this case) about the mouth/jaw not functioning properly. There
are reported cases of Multiple Sclerosis being confused for “lock jaw”
when it comes to the mouth being unable to open or close. In all of the cases,
the patients had already been diagnosed with MS, but the connection wasn’t made
until later.
I have never seen this happen to anyone
that I know.
My wife may report things differently at
night when I’m sleeping on my back with my mouth opened wide snoring my ass
off. In that situation, she may say that I have lock jaw because I can’t shut
my mouth long enough for her to fall asleep.
In the end...
MS is unpredictable, and it can be scary,
but it is something that you can live with. It’s your life, don’t let MS define
you.
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