Following the admission of Bruce Wills that he is suffering from Aphasia, lots of people are talking about this neurological disorder, know its meaning, diagnosis, treatment
Bruce Willis, the famous actor in Hollywood, who played John McClane in the Die Hard trilogy, announced his retirement on Wednesday after being diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that impairs a person’s ability to speak, write, and interpret a language.
Aphasia Disease Meaning, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment And Bruce Willis Brain Disorder
In her Instagram post, Bruce Willis’ eldest daughter Rumer said,
“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
What Is Aphasia?
Aphasia is a neurological disorder that makes it difficult for a person to communicate vocally or in writing. According to the National Aphasia Association (NAA) in the United States, the illness affects an estimated 2 million people in the country, with about 180,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
People who have aphasia have difficulty speaking, writing, and interpreting what they hear. It effectively interferes with the brain’s filing system, causing people to be unable to locate the words they want to say, miss terms in their sentences, or even come up with wrong phrases, resulting in gibberish.
They have trouble comprehending people because of the jumbled filing system.
Its Causes
Damage to one or more of the brain’s language regions causes aphasia.
A stroke is the most common cause of brain damage. A stroke happens when the blood supply to a portion of the brain is cut off by a blood clot or a leaky or broken artery. When brain cells are deprived of their usual flow of blood, which provides oxygen and vital nutrients, they die.
Severe head injuries, brain tumours, bullet wounds, brain infections, and degenerative neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease are some of the other causes of brain damage.
Symptoms Of Aphasia
People who suffer from aphasia may have difficulty finding words. They may talk in a choppy, halting style or utilise words out of sequence.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, they may utilise brief snippets of speech or just make up nonsense words and incorporate them into their speech and writing (ASHA).
Grammatical mistakes and run-on sentences are common in the patient’s written communications. A patient’s ability to precisely copy letters and words may also be hampered.
People with aphasia may struggle to grasp spoken words or written phrases, and they may require more time to absorb and comprehend what is being spoken or read.
They may also lose their capacity to recognise words based on their appearance or sound. According to ASHA, patients may have difficulty following a quick talker or comprehending complicated statements and concepts.
According to Michael Biel, an associate professor of communication disorders at Cal State Northridge, some varieties of aphasia can impact a patient’s ability to identify items or repeat words and sentences, while others can influence the patient’s capacity to name objects or repeat words and sentences.
Treatment Of Aphasia
Aphasia treatment focuses on the patient’s symptoms. Speech therapy can help people with milder kinds of aphasia retrain their brains to recognise words, talk, and write again.
Health experts typically focus on compensating support in the form of graphics and big print formats to help people with degenerative disorders communicate.
According to the National Aphasia Association, full recovery from aphasia is uncommon if symptoms remain longer than two or three months, however, some people may improve for years or even decades.
There are no specific drugs available to treat aphasia. The chance of recovery is determined by the underlying cause.
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