The right side of your brain helps you think & communicate.

Damage to the right side of the brain (due to stroke, tumor, or traumatic injury) can cause a variety of problems that affect thinking, memory, communication, and emotions. Because the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, there also may be weakness or numbness in the left hand, arm, leg, or the left side of the face. We use the phrase right hemisphere brain damage or the acronym RHD to refer to damage to the right hemisphere (side) of the brain.

In people with RHD, the cognitive (thinking), communication, and emotional problems can be subtle, and sometimes it may take a while to figure out exactly what is different. People who are close to the person with RHD may sense that the person is not quite who he/she used to be, but there may be no single thing that sticks out. To make things more complicated, the person with RHD may not be aware of any changes, even if they are obvious to those around them.

Use the headings at the top to see more information about cognitive and communication problems commonly caused by RHD.