Communication problems are very common after a stroke. Around one in three stroke survivors have problems with speaking, reading, writing and understanding what other people say to them.

After stroke, you may find it difficult to speak or understand what others say. This is called aphasia. It affects your ability to take part in conversations and share your thoughts with others.

Aphasia does not affect your intelligence or your ability to think clearly. Aphasia can affect your ability to:

• express your thoughts in speech and writing
• understand what others say
• recognise and understand written words
• use numbers, tell the time, do calculations and manage money

A sudden change in your ability to communicate can be extremely distressing, especially when you have lots of questions.

How can I treat my communication problem?

Communication problems can be managed using speech and language therapy.

A speech and language therapist (SLT) can help you to improve your speech, reading and writing as much as possible. They can also help you to learn other ways to communicate, from the use of gestures to electronic devices.

If you have issues with communication, you will have an SLT on your healthcare team. If you don’t have one, speak to your doctor.