5 Things You Need to Know About Traumatic Brain Injuries

1. Head Injuries Can Be Traumatic

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be mild, moderate or severe, and a closed head injury occurs when the head hits an object violently and suddenly. If an object pierces the skull, doctors refer to it as a penetrating head injury. The trauma causes damage to the brain; if confined to one area it is a focal injury, whereas a diffuse injury involves more than one area of the brain.

2. More Than a Bump on the Head

Many injuries to the brain that cause severe trauma are the result of accidents involving cars, motorcycles, ATVs and bicycles. Other causes involve falls, sports injuries and acts of violence, such as a blow to the head or a gunshot wound. Approximately 70 percent of all the accidental deaths that occur are the result of a traumatic head injury.

3. Mild Trauma Still Causes Problems

The symptoms of brain injury vary with severity of the trauma. Someone who has experienced a mild head trauma may have a concussion and possibly will lose consciousness for several seconds or minutes, or longer. Other symptoms of a mild TBI may include headache, dizziness, lightheadedness and confusion. The person may experience ringing in their ears, blurred vision, tired eyes, a bad or funny taste in their mouth and feel very fatigued and tired. There may be changes in ability to concentrate, think or reason, and difficulty with memory and ability to concentrate. They may also have trouble sleeping and have changes in mood and personality.

4. Keep Moderate to Severe Trauma Victims Awake

A person who suffers a moderate to severe head trauma may have all the same symptoms experienced by someone that has a mild TBI, plus a constant and worsening headache. They may experience a feeling of nausea and repeatedly vomit, have seizures or convulsions, slurred speech and difficulty using their extremities. They are often very agitated, restless and confused and experience a loss of coordination. Some may become unconscious, or not awaken from sleep, which is why you try to keep a patient with head trauma awake until a physician diagnoses the injury.

5. Brain Damage Is a Possible Outcome

The outcome of an injury so severe it causes brain trauma depends on the severity and portion of the brain injured. The overall health and age of the injured person are also very important. Approximately half of those that suffer a severe head injury require surgery to remove or repair blood vessels that are ruptured (hematomas) or relieve bruised brain tissue (contusions). Common disabilities that result from brain damage include difficulty with, or loss of, cognitive skills, communication skills, sensory perception and changes in personality, mental health and behavior. Those that suffer more serious brain injuries may remain in a stupor, a coma, a vegetative state or a persistent vegetative state. In the United States, traumatic brain injury results in approximately 50,000 deaths each year.