Traumatic Brain Injury Can be a Devastating Injury
Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. It can have devastating consequences for those afflicted. Some of those who have suffered an acquired brain injury can require significant help in carrying out daily activities, and many survivors are left with disabilities in cognition, communication or behavioural issues, as well as longer-term medical complications.
Others can sustain a more mild traumatic brain injury. Although the consequences they suffer are not as severe, the injury to the brain is still real and can have noticeable effects.
What is Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury, sometimes called TBI for short, happens when an outside trauma or force causes damage to the brain. It is a type of acquired brain injury, meaning that it is a type of brain damage caused by events after birth.
Although a traumatic brain injury is a type of head injury, head injuries can also refer to damage to the scalp or skull. A traumatic brain injury, on the other hand, affects the brain.
What Causes Traumatic Brain Injury?
A trauma that affects the brain can be either a direct impact to the head, or can be by acceleration alone. In other words, traumatic brain injury can be caused by something hitting the head that affects the brain, or by the head being accelerated or shaken violently, causing damage to the brain.
In addition to damage from the time of injury, the brain can also be damaged from trauma due to changes in blood flow to the brain and pressure in the skull that can happen following a trauma.
Half of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by accidents involving cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. These vehicle accidents are the major cause of traumatic brain injury diagnoses for individuals under the age of 75.
What are Some Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury?
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can vary from mild to severe. This, of course, depends on the severity of damage sustained by the brain.
Some symptoms show up immediately; others do not surface until much later after the injury.
A person who sustains a mild traumatic brain injury can suffer dizziness, headache, confusion, blurry vision, ringing in the ears, taste changes, fatigue and changes with sleep, mood or behavioural changes and problems with concentration, attention, memory, or other cognitive issues.
A diagnosis of moderate or severe traumatic brain injury may also include these symptoms, but also include other symptoms found by a medical expert. Children, in particular, need to be thoroughly examined if any type of brain injury is suspected.
If you suspect that you may have sustained a traumatic brain injury, you need to see your doctor immediately. Ensure that you see a medical specialist who can best assist your process towards recovery.
Acquired Brain Injury Treatment and Recovery
Because the brain is so complex, and so little is known of brain functioning, a traumatic brain injury can affect individuals in different ways. In addition to severity, the effects can depend on what part of the brain was most affected by the acquired brain injury, as well as a host of other individual factors. Recovery can range from full recovery to death or permanent disability.
Treatment for an individual who suffers an acquired brain injury needs to be assessed by a medical specialist, with a specialized rehabilitation program put in place. Such a program is usually catered to the individual and depends on the severity and effects of the acquired brain injury.
