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Bruce Willis, the legendary actor, recently announced his retirement from his acting career after being diagnosed with Aphasia, a condition that affects a person's ability to speak, write and understand a change. Actress Demi Moore and ex-wife of Bruce Willis took it to her Instagram account to announce the news.
She captioned the post, "To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him. This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, "Live it up" and together we plan to do just that. Love, Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, & Evelyn."
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To the uninitiated, here is everything you need to know about the disease that affects areas of the brain that process and produce language.
Aphasia is a communication disorder that affects people of all ages. It can influence your voice, writing, and comprehension of both spoken and written language. It usually happens as a result of a stroke or a head injury. However, it can also develop gradually because of a slow-growing brain tumour or a condition that causes lasting damage (degenerative). Aphasia severity is determined by several factors, including the source and extent of brain damage.
Once the cause of the problem is identified, the person is generally treated with speech and language therapy. A person with aphasia practices and relearns language skills and uses other ways to communicate with the help of their loved ones.
Usually, middle-aged, or older people develop the condition, but anyone can, including children. Aphasia is generally a sign of some other condition, such as a stroke or brain tumour. But a person suffering from the condition may experience:
One of the most common causes of aphasia is brain damage caused by a stroke, which occurs when a blood artery in the brain is blocked or ruptured. When there is a lack of blood flow to the brain, brain cells die or are damaged in areas that affect language.
Aphasia can also be induced by brain damage caused by a severe head accident, a tumour, an infection, or a degenerative process. In these circumstances, aphasia is often associated with additional cognitive issues such as memory loss or confusion.
Language impairment that develops gradually is referred to as primary progressive aphasia. This is related to the deterioration of brain cells in the language networks with time. This type of aphasia can sometimes lead to dementia. Sometimes the temporary aphasia can happen from time to time and cause symptoms like migraines, seizures, or a brief ischemic attack.
The treatment for aphasia depends on several factors like your age, medical history, cause, and extent of the disorder if you are left-handed or right-handed, your tolerance for medicines, and your preference. The main purpose of the treatment is to improve your communication skills through a variety of techniques, including: