Why Does Your Elderly Parent Make Weird Noises?

Casual grunts and occasional sighs are to be expected from your parents as they age. But sometimes, they make noises that even you find a bit too strange.

Your parent likely makes weird noises due to neurodegenerative disorders. Involuntary sounds are created because these disorders compromise muscle control. The disorders also cause inner urges that make your parent anxious and agitated. To soothe these feelings, your parent makes noise.

Understanding Your Parents' Weird Noises

Our ability to create sound is controlled by a multitude of muscles. These range from the laryngeal and respiratory muscles on our throats to the cheek and jaw muscles on our faces.

What Makes Noises Weird

Generally, the range of sounds our species make can be classified into three categories:

• Under the first category is our vocalization of words to express ourselves – talking.
• In the second category are the sounds we make due to our body's physiological response to stimuli, such as sneezing or burping.
• Lastly are the emotionally-driven sounds we make, such as our sobbing, chuckling, and even groaning.

Palilalia

If you keep hearing your parents repeatedly utter the same word they have just said, they may be dealing with a speech disorder known as palilalia. This disorder is closely linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Pick's.

Repeated Physiological Sounds

If you keep finding your parent repetitively coughing, sneezing, or clearing their throat for no reason, they may be affected by neurodegenerative diseases. Sudden and repetitive grunting was observed in patients with Huntington's disease.

Repeated Emotional Sounds

If your parent is prone to contextless laughing, muttering, and groaning, it could be due to frontal lobe damage that leads to serious interruption within the brain's circuits. Why Do Elderly Parents Sometimes Behave Like Children?

Remedy and Relief Options

Habit Reversal Training

In HRT, caregivers are first expected to inform your parent of their disruptive and repetitive vocalizations. This would then be capped with a proper response mechanism against the urges. HRT may be complemented by redirection techniques that ask the elderly to simply take a deep breath and count to 10.

Anxiety-Proofing Your Parents' Environment

Look into items that make living easy for your parents. You may consider getting your parent products for comfort, such as ear protectors, to avoid sensory overload. Get them some aromatic diffusers, too. Also, make sure that their space is safe for them to be in.

Conclusion

A form of neurological issue is most likely behind your parent's noisemaking. You must correctly identify and inform yourself of the exact issue your parents are suffering from to get them the best and most appropriate form of remedy and relief possible.

About Chip Mitchell

Chip Mitchell is the founder of Growing Gray USA. With over a decade of experience owning a home care company, he has helped hundreds of families navigate the complexities of caring for aging parents.