Different incidents, such as falls, motor vehicle crashes, or colliding with a moving or stationary object can cause concussion, and loss of consciousness. In some cases, the signs and symptoms varies from being subtle to disrupting normal brain functions. What seemed like just a knock on the head is actually a traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or Intracranial Injury is a conditioncaused by a sudden trauma from a blow, jolt, or penetrating object that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Examples of these impacts include the head hitting a solid object during falls, car accidents, sports-related impacts, and penetrating injuries. Depending on the extent of the damage to the brain, symptoms of TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, which can cause long-term problems; or any level in between. The people most at risk of TBI are children (newborns to 4-year-olds), young adults (between ages 15 and 24), and the elderly (ages 75 and older).
These risk factors just show that TBI can happen to everyone. Delays in TBI treatment can reduce the chance for optimal recovery, which can further result to significant cognitive, physical and/or psychological impairment.
Warning Signs and Symptoms of TBI
Symptoms can range from none to mild pain and generally fall into major categories namely cognitive, perceptual, physical and behavioral. Specifically, the following are common warning signs of a traumatic brain injury:
· Severe headache that does not go away
· Repeated nausea and vomiting
· Slurred and/or slowed speech
· Muscle stiffness and/or spasms
· Weakness in one or more limbs, facial muscles, or on an entire side of the body
· Tingling, numbness, pain, or other sensations
· Loss of consciousness
· Loss of balance when walking or sitting
· Difficulty remembering what happened prior to the accident
Traumatic brain injury can affect a person’s thinking, sensation, language and/or emotions. In severe cases, it can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders that are more common with aging.
Is there any Treatment for TBI?
Yes. Take note that little can be done to reverse the initial damage caused by TBI, so if you have warning signs of moderate to severe TBI, you must seek medical attention immediately. Health care providers can stabilize TBI patients and provide support to prevent further injury. However, severe complications can still occur soon after a traumatic brain injury which includes:
· Altered consciousness (e.g. Coma, Vegetative state, Locked-in syndrome, or Brain death)
· Seizures
· Cerebrospinal fluid build up
· Infections
· Nerve or Blood vessel damage
· Cognitive problems (e.g. problem-solving, decision making, or multi-tasking)
· Language and communications problems (e.g. Trouble following conversations)
· Behavioral, Emotional, and Sensory Changes
· Degenerative brain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease)
Traumatic brain injuries can cause a series of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral complications which can have serious and long-lasting effects leading to complete recovery, disability, or death. Patients with mild to moderate TBI generally receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. On the other hand, moderate to severe TBI patients should have the computed tomography (CT) scan, and receive rehabilitation care programs where they undergo physical, occupational, and speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or Intracranial Injury is a conditioncaused by a sudden trauma from a blow, jolt, or penetrating object that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Examples of these impacts include the head hitting a solid object during falls, car accidents, sports-related impacts, and penetrating injuries. Depending on the extent of the damage to the brain, symptoms of TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, which can cause long-term problems; or any level in between. The people most at risk of TBI are children (newborns to 4-year-olds), young adults (between ages 15 and 24), and the elderly (ages 75 and older).
These risk factors just show that TBI can happen to everyone. Delays in TBI treatment can reduce the chance for optimal recovery, which can further result to significant cognitive, physical and/or psychological impairment.
Warning Signs and Symptoms of TBI
Symptoms can range from none to mild pain and generally fall into major categories namely cognitive, perceptual, physical and behavioral. Specifically, the following are common warning signs of a traumatic brain injury:
· Severe headache that does not go away
· Repeated nausea and vomiting
· Slurred and/or slowed speech
· Muscle stiffness and/or spasms
· Weakness in one or more limbs, facial muscles, or on an entire side of the body
· Tingling, numbness, pain, or other sensations
· Loss of consciousness
· Loss of balance when walking or sitting
· Difficulty remembering what happened prior to the accident
Traumatic brain injury can affect a person’s thinking, sensation, language and/or emotions. In severe cases, it can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders that are more common with aging.
Is there any Treatment for TBI?
Yes. Take note that little can be done to reverse the initial damage caused by TBI, so if you have warning signs of moderate to severe TBI, you must seek medical attention immediately. Health care providers can stabilize TBI patients and provide support to prevent further injury. However, severe complications can still occur soon after a traumatic brain injury which includes:
· Altered consciousness (e.g. Coma, Vegetative state, Locked-in syndrome, or Brain death)
· Seizures
· Cerebrospinal fluid build up
· Infections
· Nerve or Blood vessel damage
· Cognitive problems (e.g. problem-solving, decision making, or multi-tasking)
· Language and communications problems (e.g. Trouble following conversations)
· Behavioral, Emotional, and Sensory Changes
· Degenerative brain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease)
Traumatic brain injuries can cause a series of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral complications which can have serious and long-lasting effects leading to complete recovery, disability, or death. Patients with mild to moderate TBI generally receive skull and neck X-rays to check for bone fractures or spinal instability. On the other hand, moderate to severe TBI patients should have the computed tomography (CT) scan, and receive rehabilitation care programs where they undergo physical, occupational, and speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, and social support.