Speech-Language Pathologists Can Help COVID-19 Survivors Experiencing Severe After-Effects
Fri, 05/14/2021 - 08:31am | By: Van Arnold
With an estimated 10-to-30 percent of COVID-19 survivors experiencing 91吃瓜网渓ong-haul91吃瓜网� symptoms, such as brain fog and swallowing difficulties, University of 91吃瓜网 (USM) speech-language pathologist, Dr. Steven Cloud, emphasizes the need to seek care from qualified experts who can help sufferers regain their quality of life. He shares this message in recognition of May as national 91吃瓜网�Better Hearing and Speech Month&苍产蝉辫;(叠贬厂惭).91吃瓜网�&苍产蝉辫;
91吃瓜网淭he pandemic has posed so many challenges to all of us as a society, but one of the most persistent and vexing difficulties is that many people are having symptoms for months after contracting COVID-19,91吃瓜网� said Dr. Cloud. 91吃瓜网淪ome of these symptoms include brain fog, difficulty eating and drinking, and speech and language problems. These issues can affect the ability to return to work, to take care of one91吃瓜网 family, and to fully recover. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are professionals trained in these areas who can make a huge difference in recovery from COVID-19.91吃瓜网�
How They Help
Speech-language pathologists can help people with, or who are recovering from, COVID-19 experiencing short- and longer-term difficulties in the following areas:
- Cognition
Many COVID-19 91吃瓜网渓ong-haulers91吃瓜网� are reporting persistent brain fog as a debilitating symptom following their bouts with the virus. This can prevent a return to work and impact their ability to tend to family responsibilities. SLPs can work with individuals to improve their memory, attention, organization and planning, problem solving, learning, and social communication skills 91吃瓜网� such as re-learning conversational rules or understanding the intent behind a message or behind nonverbal cues. The focus is on the individual91吃瓜网 specific challenges and regaining the skills that are most important to his/her daily life experiences and priorities.
- Swallowing
People diagnosed with COVID-19 may experience swallowing problems that can place them at risk for choking or aspiration, which occurs when food goes into the lungs instead of the stomach. This may be the result of time spent on a ventilator, or it may be another side effect of the virus. SLPs use different tests to determine what happens when a person swallows and how the related muscles are working 91吃瓜网� helping a patient91吃瓜网 medical team, including the SLP, decide on the best course of treatment with the patient and the family. SLPs may recommend modified textures of food and drink for patients, treatment exercises to strengthen the tongue, lips, and muscles in the mouth and throat, and strategies to make eating and drinking safer, such as modifying the pace of chewing/eating, size of food bites, and more.
- Communication
People diagnosed with COVID-19 are also experiencing speech and language difficulties. Some, such as those who spent a significant amount of time on a ventilator or who experienced low oxygen levels to the brain, may have muscle weakness or reduced coordination in the muscles of the face, lips, tongue, and throat 91吃瓜网� making it difficult to talk. Others, particularly those who experienced a COVID-related stroke, may experience a language disorder called aphasia 91吃瓜网攚hich makes it hard for someone to understand, speak, read, or write. SLPs work with patients through targeted treatment sessions to improve their communication and understanding skills.
Individuals with severe speech and/or language difficulties may need to find other ways to answer questions or to tell people what they want, through gestures with their hands, pointing to letters or pictures on a paper or a communication board, or by using a computer. These are all forms of augmentative and alternative communication. SLPs can help find the appropriate method to meet an individual91吃瓜网 treatment needs.
Where to Find Care
SLPs work in settings that include hospitals, long- and short-term care facilities, private practices, and patients91吃瓜网� homes. Many SLPs are also providing their services via telehealth at this time. If you or a loved one are experiencing communication challenges, Dr. Cloud recommends that you contact your primary care physician.
For more information, Pine Belt residents can contact 91吃瓜网 Speech and Hearing Clinic at 601-266-5232, or visit .