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IS Persistent Speech Problem A Symptom Of Brain Tumour?
Question: Hi,
I have been having a speech problem as of late that's starting to concern me.
A few times a day I will want to say a sentence like "did you take the trash out?" but it will come out as "did you trash the take out?"
Another example is that I will fuse two words together as if I hadnt decided which one I wanted to use before I spoke. Example, I'll fuse 'dog' and 'pup' together to make 'dup'. This happens frequently, and sometimes I'll miss a word in a sentence.
When reading out loud I will also jumble up the words a bit, although if I'm concentrating it becomes less of an issue, but still an occurence.
I think its been happening for a few years, but only now I'm starting to notice it more and more. I dont know if its starting to increase in frequency because I'm focusing on it and its causing me a lot of stress.
I'm a 21 year old girl with no known medical conditions or brain trauma. But someone mentioned to me that it could be aphasia, which led on to the discovery that it is a symptom of a brain tumor. However, I thought aphasia was far more severe and sufferers could not produce a coherent sentence. Could you explain if my problem could be aphasia? Also, does this sound like a brain tumour and should I contact a neurologist for a scan? I have no headaches or other symptoms I would typically associate with it.
Many thanks
Ami
I have been having a speech problem as of late that's starting to concern me.
A few times a day I will want to say a sentence like "did you take the trash out?" but it will come out as "did you trash the take out?"
Another example is that I will fuse two words together as if I hadnt decided which one I wanted to use before I spoke. Example, I'll fuse 'dog' and 'pup' together to make 'dup'. This happens frequently, and sometimes I'll miss a word in a sentence.
When reading out loud I will also jumble up the words a bit, although if I'm concentrating it becomes less of an issue, but still an occurence.
I think its been happening for a few years, but only now I'm starting to notice it more and more. I dont know if its starting to increase in frequency because I'm focusing on it and its causing me a lot of stress.
I'm a 21 year old girl with no known medical conditions or brain trauma. But someone mentioned to me that it could be aphasia, which led on to the discovery that it is a symptom of a brain tumor. However, I thought aphasia was far more severe and sufferers could not produce a coherent sentence. Could you explain if my problem could be aphasia? Also, does this sound like a brain tumour and should I contact a neurologist for a scan? I have no headaches or other symptoms I would typically associate with it.
Many thanks
Ami
Brief Answer:
not likely a brain tumor
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
Brain tumors are rare and especially rare in 21 year olds. The symptoms you describe are not aphasia. Aphasia can be an inability to make coherent speech or an inability to understand spoken speech.
What your are describing is more likely a result of stress and trying to multi-task.
If you feel that the problem is severe and getting worse then it would be good for you to see a neurologist for an assessment though I am not sure they will want to do a brain scan.
First I suggest that you talk to your primary care doctor then if they think it is serious they can refer you to a neurologist.
Try not to worry. Almost everyone does what you describe to some extent. Try to focus on one thing at a time and get plenty of sleep at night. Exercise regularly, drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin daily for good overall health.
Best wishes,
Dr. Robinson
not likely a brain tumor
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
Brain tumors are rare and especially rare in 21 year olds. The symptoms you describe are not aphasia. Aphasia can be an inability to make coherent speech or an inability to understand spoken speech.
What your are describing is more likely a result of stress and trying to multi-task.
If you feel that the problem is severe and getting worse then it would be good for you to see a neurologist for an assessment though I am not sure they will want to do a brain scan.
First I suggest that you talk to your primary care doctor then if they think it is serious they can refer you to a neurologist.
Try not to worry. Almost everyone does what you describe to some extent. Try to focus on one thing at a time and get plenty of sleep at night. Exercise regularly, drink plenty of water and take a multivitamin daily for good overall health.
Best wishes,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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