Explained: Aphasia
According to the National Aphasia Association, almost 1 million people in the United States have aphasia, and nearly 180,000 people acquire it each year.
Aphasia is a communication impairment that affects people of all ages. It can impact your voice, writing, and comprehension of both spoken and written language.
Aphasia usually happens due to a stroke or a head injury. However, it can also develop gradually because of a slow-growing brain tumor or a condition that causes lasting damage (degenerative). Aphasia intensity is determined by a number of factors, including the cause and degree of neurological damage.
There are several types of aphasia, each of which affects people differently. The following are the most typical kinds of aphasia:
- Broca’s aphasia
- Wernicke’s aphasia
- Global aphasia
Let’s dive closer;
1. Broca’s Aphasia/ Non-Fluent Aphasia:
Broca’s aphasia, which is also known as expressive aphasia occurs when people have a hard time finding and saying the proper words while actually knowing exactly what they want to say. People who are diagnosed with Broca’s aphasia may only be able to say a few words or brief sentences, but others should be able to comprehend what they are saying which can be really aggravating. The features of Broca’s aphasia are listed as; limited speech (including short utterances), limited vocabulary, imprecise sounds, and difficulty in writing.
2. Wernicke’s Aphasia/ Fluent Aphasia:
It is also known as receptive aphasia, which occurs when a person can speak clearly and use extended phrases, but their words may not make sense. They may not realize what they are saying is incorrect, and they may become frustrated when others do not understand them. The characteristics of Wernicke’s aphasia are; hampered reading and writing skills, not being able to understand what is being spoken, and in severe cases, the use of meaningless words.
3. Global Aphasia
Global aphasia is a type of aphasia that occurs when damage in the brain is so extensive that it involves both Broca’s and Wernicke’s language areas. Survivors with global aphasia are unable to understand spoken language or to speak at all. However, in some cases, people with global aphasias can still communicate by using written language.
Living Through Aphasia:
Some patients with aphasia can recover entirely without treatment. However, the majority of people still struggle with the consequences of aphasia even after years. Speech therapy, for example, can typically help people regain some speech and language abilities over time, but many people still struggle to speak. Both the individual with aphasia and their family members may find this difficult and hard to handle during the treatment period. It is critical for family members to discover the most effective ways to communicate with their loved ones. Speech therapists are frequently able to assist with this.
Living with aphasia is tough, as it comes with developing or learning new communication skills from scratch but helping each other, giving time to try communicating, and opening the door to language are still there!
Works Cited
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/aphasia
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/aphasia
