Is stuttered breathing a symptom of a disorder?!
Question: Hey. My friend has some sort of stuttering breathing - kinda like, when he breathes out, halfway through the exhale, he closes his airway, then opens it and finishes the exhale. Some breaths are normal, others do this three or four times. It doesn't seem to bother him, and its not like a critical thing (like a seizure) but its just his regular breathing. Anyone have any idea what this could be?
Answers: Hey. My friend has some sort of stuttering breathing - kinda like, when he breathes out, halfway through the exhale, he closes his airway, then opens it and finishes the exhale. Some breaths are normal, others do this three or four times. It doesn't seem to bother him, and its not like a critical thing (like a seizure) but its just his regular breathing. Anyone have any idea what this could be?
The other responder had a great answer-- it just wasn't the right one for what you want to know. What you describe is neither stuttering, nor spasmodic dysphonia ("stuttering of the larynx").
Your friend, most likely, has "laryngospasm", where the vocal cords slam shut for no apparent reason. In most cases, there is nothing to worry about. The only time to worry is when he is no longer able to maintain a patent airway.
Stuttering is generally diagnosed by a speech-language pathologist, a professional who is specially trained to test and treat individuals with voice, speech and language disorders. The diagnosis is usually based on the history of the disorder, such as when it was first noticed and under what circumstances, as well as a complete evaluation of speech and language abilities.
Scientists suspect a variety of causes. There is reason to believe that many forms of stuttering are genetically determined. The precise mechanisms causing stuttering are not understood.
The most common form of stuttering is thought to be developmental, that is, it is occurring in children who are in the process of developing speech and language. This relaxed type of stuttering is felt to occur when a child's speech and language abilities are unable to meet his or her verbal demands. Stuttering happens when the child searches for the correct word. Developmental stuttering is usually outgrown.
Another common form of stuttering is neurogenic. Neurogenic disorders arise from signal problems between the brain and nerves or muscles. In neurogenic stuttering, the brain is unable to coordinate adequately the different components of the speech mechanism. Neurogenic stuttering may also occur following a stroke or other type of brain injury.
Other forms of stuttering are classified as psychogenic or originating in the mind or mental activity of the brain such as thought and reasoning. Whereas at one time the major cause of stuttering was thought to be psychogenic, this type of stuttering is now known to account for only a minority of the individuals who stutter. Although individuals who stutter may develop emotional problems such as fear of meeting new people or speaking on the telephone, these problems often result from stuttering rather than causing the stuttering. Psychogenic stuttering occasionally occurs in individuals who have some types of mental illness or individuals who have experienced severe mental stress or anguish.
Scientists and clinicians have long known that stuttering may run in families and that there is a strong possibility that some forms of stuttering are, in fact, hereditary. No gene or genes for stuttering, however, have yet been found.