Personal Injury Blog

Aphasia: A Troubling Experience After a Brain Injury

Aphasia: A Troubling Experience After a Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most common causes of disability and death in the country. In fact, brain injuries lead to nearly one-third of all injury deaths, and each day, 153 Americans die because of injuries that involve brain injuries. Other long-term effects of brain injuries include memory loss, loss of coordination, hearing and vision problems, impaired thinking, changes in personality, and speech problems.

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a type of language disorder that develops after one suffers brain damage to the left side of the brain. The brain is divided into two halves, left and right. The left side of the brain is the area that processes language.

Aphasia may cause difficulty speaking, reading, understanding, or even writing. A person with aphasia does not have any problems thinking; it is communicating thoughts that is the challenge.

The symptoms of aphasia include:

  • Having trouble reading or spelling
  • Finding it difficult to combine words into a sentence
  • Finding oneself unable to add, subtract, tell time, or count money
  • Finding it difficult to understand what others are saying, especially if they are speaking quickly or are in a noisy environment
  • Failing to understand jokes
  • Finding it challenging to think of the words one wants to say, or saying the wrong words
  • Mixing up the sounds in words or using words that are made up
  • Saying things that do not make sense

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury and exhibits these symptoms, seek medical attention right away.

What are the most common causes of aphasia?

In most cases, aphasia develops after a stroke. However, it is also caused by traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are caused by blows and bumps to the head.

Some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries are:

  • Falls
  • Being hit by an object, or being struck against an object
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Self-injury

Are there any treatments for aphasia?

There are treatment options available for aphasia. In mild cases, the individual may recover from aphasia without any treatment. However, others need language and speech therapy to improve. Though speech and language therapy is helpful, it is rare that an individual with a serious case of aphasia fully recovers his or her original ability to communicate.

Speech language pathologists provide both one-on-one therapy, as well as group therapy, for individuals with aphasia. The sooner therapy begins, the more effective it usually is.

Researchers are studying whether medications may also assist with aphasia treatment, but more trials and studies need to be completed.

If you have suffered a brain injury because of someone else’s negligence, call our New Jersey injury attorneys today

If you have been injured because of another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. At Leonard Legal Group, our New Jersey injury lawyers are leaders in the field, highly experienced in New Jersey injury claims and hold negligent individuals responsible for the injuries they have caused to innocent victims. To schedule your free consultation with our firm, call 973-984-1414 or contact us online.