Unravelling the Mysteries: What Is Aphasia And How Does It Affect Language?
You have a tedious task in front of you and you decide to make it more bearable by turning on the radio. You listen to people talking, telling stories, discussing topics of interest. But suddenly you ask yourself: what if one day I couldn't understand those words, what if they became a soup of meaningless sounds? Today you are going to get to know the world of people living with aphasia, a disorder that revolutionises their world of communication.
What Is Aphasia?
Aphasia is like an underhand word thief. It usually arises after brain damage caused by a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). This disorder causes people to lose the ability to understand and/or express language. It is not a problem of memory or intelligence. It is as if the map connecting words to thoughts is blurred.
Types Of Aphasia
Like a painter, aphasia can paint different pictures. There is Broca's aphasia, where people have trouble speaking, but understand what others say. Then there is Wernicke's aphasia, where the individual speaks normally, but does not understand what they hear or read. And then there is global aphasia, the most devastating, as it interferes with the understanding and expression of language.
How Does Aphasia Affect Language?
Imagine wanting to talk to your friends but not being able to find the right words. That's what people with aphasia feel. Language becomes chaotic. They may have trouble speaking, finding the right words, reading or writing. No two people with aphasia are the same, each will have their own particular battle with words.
Relationship Between Aphasia And Other Conditions
We cannot talk about aphasia without mentioning conditions with which it often goes hand in hand. Vocal Pathologies, for example, are common in people with aphasia, which implies multidisciplinary work in their intervention, bringing together speech therapy and phoniatrics. The dyslalias, pronunciation disturbances are also often present in this picture. The Atypical Swallowing, Aphasia, characterised by an incorrect way of swallowing, is another condition that can occur in association with aphasia.
Coping With Aphasia
Treatment for aphasia is as individual as each person is. Speech therapy professionals will devise a strategy, depending on the patient's specific difficulties. Sometimes the use of technology will help, sometimes talk therapy will be most effective. In each case, we will work to help people reconnect with their world through language.
Conclusions: Beyond Aphasia
We hope this article has immersed you in the world of aphasia. Although often invisible, its effects are devastating, robbing people of the ability to understand and be understood. However, every day advances are being made in treatment strategies and, most importantly, every day people with aphasia are struggling to find their words again. Because, at the end of the day, we are our words. The ones we speak, the ones we understand and, above all, the ones we share.