What Is Aphasia?

Aphasia is a medical term that describes trouble with expressing or understanding spoken language. Several medical conditions can cause aphasia. While there’s no cure for the condition, there are many options for treatment. Let’s take a closer look at aphasia and what you can do to cope with symptoms or support a loved one experiencing this condition. 

What causes aphasia? 

People can develop aphasia if they experience damage to the parts of the brain that control the ability to understand language or produce speech. 

There are several medical conditions that can cause damage to these parts of the brain, like:

• Strokes

• Brain tumors

• Head injuries

• Infections, like meningitis and encephalitis

• Dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease)

What are the symptoms of aphasia?

Not everyone who develops aphasia experiences the same symptoms. Some people develop symptoms gradually, while other people have an abrupt start of symptoms. 

The symptoms people experience depend on which parts of the brain are affected. These symptoms are grouped based on how people speak, understand speech and repeat spoken words. There are several “types” of aphasia, but three common types of aphasia include:

1. Expressive aphasia

People with expressive aphasia have trouble expressing their thoughts with spoken and/or written language. People know what they want to express but can’t find the words to do so. This is due to damage to the Broca area of the brain. Symptoms of expressive aphasia include:

• Slow and/or choppy, broken speech

• Trouble forming a complete sentence

• Trouble expressing needs

• Not making sense when speaking

• Using the wrong word to describe something

2. Receptive aphasia

People with receptive aphasia have trouble understanding written and/or spoken language. People can read words, but they have trouble understanding what the words mean. They can also hear what people are saying to them but might not understand — it’s almost like they’re hearing a foreign language. 

This occurs when there’s damage to the Wernicke area of the brain. Symptoms of receptive aphasia include: 

• Trouble understanding what people are saying

• Difficulty understanding what they read

• Trouble writing

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3. Global aphasia

Global aphasia is a more severe type of aphasia. People who experience global aphasia have both symptoms of expressive and receptive aphasia. That means they have trouble speaking and understanding words. They can’t understand or read written language. 

Other types of aphasia

There are other types of aphasia, too. These types can have symptoms of expressive or receptive aphasia. But the symptoms may be more focused in one area, like spoken language. 

How do you diagnose aphasia?

If you or someone you know develops trouble speaking, writing, or understanding speech — seek medical care right away. A sudden start of aphasia symptoms can be a sign of a serious medical condition, like a stroke or tumor. 

Healthcare providers will look for what’s causing the aphasia and try to fix it to save the areas of the brain that are being affected. People experiencing aphasia may need tests like:

• Lumbar puncture

• CT/MRI scan of the brain

• Blood and urine tests 

Once the healthcare team finds the cause of the aphasia, they’ll treat that condition. Speech therapists will then use specific tests to evaluate what kind of aphasia the person is experiencing. These tests may involve performing tasks like:

• Speaking

• Repeating words

• Following spoken commands

• Answering questions

• Reading words aloud 

• Naming and describing pictures

• Recalling words that have been spoken or read

What is the treatment for aphasia?

People who develop aphasia after a stroke or other type of brain injury can recover some communication ability as the injury heals. But many times, people don’t recover completely.

Speech and language therapy can help people recover many of their communication skills. Therapy helps people relearn skills. It also helps train the brain to use different areas to build on existing language skills. Therapists also help people develop new ways to communicate — like using alternative communication devices. 

Researchers are studying other ways to help people with aphasia. Clinical trials are looking at whether things like medications or brain stimulation can help people recover. 

What are some ways to cope with aphasia?

Aphasia recovery takes time. Sometimes it requires a lifelong commitment. If you or a loved one are experiencing aphasia:

• Connect with a speech therapist who has experience in treating aphasia.

• Access communication devices and apps that can help you communicate with others.

• Use alternative communication strategies (including communication boards) as needed.

• Get wallet cards so you can alert others to your communication needs.

• Join an aphasia support group. Connecting with other people experiencing aphasia is one of the best ways to learn about resources and tips. It also keeps you connected to others and supports mental wellness. 

If you have a friend or family member with aphasia, there may be some ways you can help them improve their communication. The National Aphasia Association offers these tips:

• Use other tools besides written and spoken language to communicate with your loved one.

• Be patient and give your loved one plenty of time to speak and listen. 

• Minimize background noise when speaking.

• Make sure to limit other distractions to maximize the other person’s attention.

• Encourage your loved one to maintain their independence as much as possible.

• Keep your loved one involved in all your family’s usual activities

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Jennifer Clements, MD, MSEd, NBHWC

Jennifer Clements, MD, MSEd, NBHWC, is a board-certified physician and health coach who is passionate about achieving optimal health through healthy lifestyles. Clements is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Integrative Medicine.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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