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Sweet Relief: How Speech Therapists Help You Speak Up and Swallow Safely

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help people do some of the most essential things in life—communicate clearly and eat safely. While most people think of speech therapy as just helping with pronunciation or stuttering, it also plays a key role in treating issues like vocal disorders and swallowing difficulties.

How speech therapy can help with vocal disorders

Good communication is paramount to living a quality life. Not being able to communicate can impact your job, your relationships, and your self-esteem. Over time, it can even lead to social isolation and loneliness, which are two major contributors to an early death—even more so than physical inactivity or obesity.

Vocal disorders, such as laryngitis or growths on your vocal cords, can disrupt your speech and communication. They can make your voice hoarse, raspy, pitchy, quiet, or otherwise affected. Vocal disorders range from short-term side effects of colds to chronic voice box and vocal cord issues.

Whether caused by overuse, illness, growths, inflammation, nerve damage, or even stress and emotional strain, vocal disorders can significantly impact daily life. To get to the root of the issue, a speech-language pathologist begins with a thorough evaluation of your vocal characteristics, such as pitch, loudness, endurance, breath support, and range. In some cases they may recommend further testing, such as laryngeal imaging or acoustic assessments, often in collaboration with an ENT or other health care provider.

Once they understand what’s affecting your voice, SLPs work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. This may include vocal exercises, breath timing techniques, and education around voice care—such as staying hydrated, reducing vocal strain, and avoiding harmful habits like yelling or whispering. The goal is to improve voice quality, reduce barriers to communication, and help you feel confident using your voice again.

How speech therapists can help with swallowing

Swallowing may seem automatic, but for many older adults it can become a daily struggle. Known medically as dysphagia, swallowing disorders can lead to coughing or choking while eating, a sensation of food getting stuck, or even weight loss and dehydration. Left untreated, dysphagia can increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia—a serious condition where food or liquid enters the lungs.

Speech-language pathologists are specially trained to assess and treat swallowing disorders. They begin with a comprehensive evaluation, which may include observing how you swallow foods with different textures or using imaging tools like a modified barium swallow study. From there, they’ll create a personalized plan that might involve strengthening exercises for the muscles used in swallowing, dietary modifications, and/or strategies to improve safety while eating, such as tucking your chin while swallowing or taking smaller sips. With the right therapy, many people regain safe and comfortable swallowing, restoring not only nutrition, but quality of life.

Whether you’re struggling with your voice or your ability to swallow, speech therapy with CPT can offer practical solutions that make everyday life safer, easier, and more fulfilling.