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Stroke Effect

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One of the more common side effects after suffering a stroke is difficulty with speech. This can be very frustrating for the stroke victim and can make recovery all that much difficult. Speech therapy is an essential part of stroke rehab. It offers the patient the ability to recover the ability to communicate. How Does Stroke Affect Speech Speech is not a simple process when it comes to brain functions. A person has to think about what he or she wants to say. Then, those thoughts must be translated into words. Then the brain must command the mouth and throat to form those words and transmit sound. Understanding what someone is saying is just as complicated. The brain must capture the soundwaves that the ears capture. Then, the brain must …show more content…

When it comes to physical motion, each side of the brain controls what is happening on the other side. That means the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. However, each side of the brain has additional functions besides controlling motion. The left side of the brain is normally tasked with controlling speech and understanding language. So, if a stroke affects the left side of the brain, it is possible for it to affect that person's ability to speak or to understand what is being said. This is part of a condition known as aphasia. Aphasia can cause problems with speaking, listening, reading, writing, understanding speech, and thinking of words when speaking or writing. The exact symptoms involved with a particular patient depends on the type and severity of the injury to the brain. It affects about 20 percent of stroke patients. How Does Speech Therapy Improve Aphasia The most common treatment for aphasia is treatment with a speech-language therapist. The therapist works to identify the exact issues the patient is having and to develop a plan on how to improve and manage those issues. The therapist can help the patient use his or her remaining abilities to the fullest, to restore language abilities where possible, to work around remaining language problems, and to learn other ways to get the message

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