What is aphasia?
Aphasia affects communication. It can vary in severity and can change over time. Some people may experience partial or total loss of speech; others may be unable to read, write or understand numbers.
What causes aphasia?
The most common cause is a stroke but aphasia can develop following a brain injury or when the brain is deprived of oxygen.
It may also be caused by a brain tumour or infection, or by neurosurgery.
About half of the people who show signs of aphasia have temporary or transient aphasia and recover completely within a few days. For others, the symptoms may be present for many years, or forever.
The effects of aphasia.
You may find it hard to: You may also have problems:
- speak, read or write - answering the telephone
- understand what people say - watching television or listening to the radio
- use numbers
Despite aphasia, your intellect remains intact but there is often a feeling of being cut off, frustrated, socially isolated and being excluded from a world that is dominated by instant communication.
