Diagnosing and Treating Aphasia Online
Aphasia negatively affects the way someone talks, writes, and understands language. When someone develops aphasia, they lose the ability to communicate. The onset of aphasia generally occurs later in life, especially after trauma to the brain occurs. Serious trauma that could cause aphasia includes strokes, head injuries, or brain cancer. The extent to which aphasia affects someone depends on which part and how much of the brain is damaged.
There are four main types of aphasia:
- Expressive aphasia occurs when someone knows what they want to communicate, but has trouble writing or saying their thoughts effectively.
- Receptive aphasia causes someone to see words or hear someone speaking without being able to make sense of the words.
- Anomic aphasia occurs when someone has difficulty identifying the correct words they want to use while speaking and writing.
- Global aphasia is defined as a condition in which someone cannot read, write, speak, or comprehend speech or writing.
Aphasia can deeply impact the quality of life and can lead to depression.
During a video consult on Amwell your doctor will ask you a series of targeted questions to determine if your symptoms point to aphasia. Then your provider will proceed to determine the best treatment plan for you. Your provider may recommend in-person examination by a specialist if this is needed. Your treatment plan is based on the duration and severity of your symptoms and your medical history.
Once a diagnosis has been made, your doctor will go over the risks and benefits of the various treatment plans. Treatment for aphasia is different depending on the severity.
Options for treatment of aphasia may include:
- Speech therapy
- Language rehabilitation
