Bruce Willis – the action star – announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with aphasia. Because of this, he is considering quitting his career at the age of 67. Aphasia is a medical condition in which a person struggles to understand language and communicate. In general, the left side of the brain controls the tongue and this disease affects that important part.Also read – Happy Birthday Bruce Willis: Five Things You May Not Know About Die Hard Star
What is aphasia?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Aphasia has problems communicating. A person with aphasia may have difficulty finding the right words, changing the wrong words for each other, or speaking in short sentences that can be difficult and impossible to understand. Johns Hopkins says issues related to brain damage on the left side of the brain that control language. Also read – The country is missing a real action hero: John Abraham
Aphasia is a symptom of a widespread medical problem. It can be caused by a stroke, a head injury or a tumor, or it can develop into a degenerative condition of the brain. Current treatment options, however, are very limited. Language and speech restoration are available and they focus on restoring as much speech as possible. There are other ways to seek help. Also read – Actor Bruce Willis quits Woody Allen’s film
What are the reasons?
According to ASHA, aphasia damages the language centers of the brain. It can result in traumatic brain injury, brain infection or tumor or it can lead to other degenerative brain diseases such as dementia.
Stroke is the leading cause of aphasia. According to reports from the National Ephesia Association, the elderly are most at risk and 25% and 40% of stroke survivors lead to aphasia.
What is the treatment?
Treatment depends on the individual’s symptoms. For people with mild forms of aphasia, treatment can help restore language ability through speech therapy. It can also help the brain to recognize, speak and write words.
For people with degenerative conditions, it can be further reduced. Health professionals often focus on providing assistance in pictures or large print formats that help the person communicate.
According to the National Ephesia Association, a person cannot fully recover from aphasia if the symptoms persist for more than two or three months after the stroke. However, some people can still improve for years and decades.
