Stuttering can worsen when you're excited, tired or stressed.
Stuttering is a disorder affecting the fluency of speech. People who stutter involuntary hesitate when speaking and repeat and draw out parts of words or phrases. According to The New York Times, about 5 percent of children aged 2 to 5 experience stuttering, but it is usually a short phase. For less than 1 percent of children, the stuttering progresses. Speech therapy may be helpful in persistent cases, but drug therapy has not proven to be effective.
Difficulty Starting a Word
A major symptom of stuttering is difficulty starting a word, sentence or phrase. You may notice prolonged pauses and long, drawn-out sounds while the person is trying to say a word.
Repetition and Prolongation
Repetition of words or phrases and prolongation of speech sounds are common symptoms of stuttering. A person's speech may also be "blocked" -- the mouth is positioned to say a sound but no sound is produced for several seconds. The person may also interject "um" or "like" into speech.
Other Symptoms
Other physical symptoms often accompany speech difficulty. Rapid eye blinks, lip or jaw tremors, and tension or movement of the face or upper body can also take place with stuttering. A person who stutters might also seem out of breath or tense while talking.
Neurogenic Stuttering
Fragmented or halting sounds or interruptions in producing words characterize neurogenic stuttering. People with this type of stuttering have suffered an injury or disease affecting the central nervous system, such as a stroke, head trauma, ischemic attacks, and tumors or other neoplasms; degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis; or other diseases, such as meningitis, Guillain-Barr syndrome and AIDS.
Causes
The causes of stuttering are unknown, but factors that may cause stuttering include genetics, language development and signal difficulties. Young children may stutter when their speech abilities can't yet keep up with what they want to say; they usually outgrow developmental stuttering within four years. Stuttering can also occur when the signals between the brain and the nerves and muscles that control speech do not work properly.
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