Aphasia is a when a person has trouble with their language or speech. It usually occurs as a result of damage to the left side of the brain – for example a stroke.

Symptoms of aphasia are when a person has trouble with the four main ways people use and understand language: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Speech problems are the most obvious signs, and people who suffer from aphasia will often confuse the words they use, either by choosing the wrong word, using the wrong sound or putting sentences together incorrectly.

People will not usually realise that they can’t be understood, even if their sentences don’t make sense at all.

Damage to the parts of the brain responsible for producing and understanding language is responsible for aphasia. It can be caused by a severe head injury, stroke, brain tumor, or neurological conditions that cause the brain damage over time such as dementia. It can affect people of all ages, but as strokes and progressive neurological conditions tend to affect adults over 65 it is more common in older adults.

There are currently no medications for aphasia and speech and language therapy is the most common treatment. If the aphasia is caused by a one-off event, such as a stroke or a head injury, it is likely that you will regain some language with some recovering fully. Success levels vary greatly from person to person. If the ahpasia is caused by a progressive neurological condition, the chances of recovery are poorer, and treatment tends to focus on what the patients are still able to do and developing other ways of communicating. Patients may find support groups useful as they provide a place of understanding and a sense of community.