Traumatic brain injuries are serious conditions that must be treated quickly by a specialist. Some people don’t seek medical attention after injuring their head. Though you may look and feel fine, traumatic brain injury symptoms may show up later and negatively impact your day-to-day life.
You may think it a small bump isn’t worthy of concern, but seemingly minor injuries like concussions can still negatively affect your life years after the incident.
Traumatic brain injuries come in many forms. The type of injury you have will affect your treatment plan.
Primary Brain Injury
A primary brain injury happens at the time of injury. If you hit your head in a car accident, injuries happen as soon as your head hits a hard surface. No more damage occurs after the collision is completed.
Secondary Brain Injury
A secondary brain injury will continue to develop over time. A secondary brain injury comes after the primary brain injury.
Your brain will undergo many changes, often in the tissues or at the cellular level. These changes are secondary injuries, and you may not notice the symptoms right away.
Closed Brain Injury
If your skull doesn’t crack open at the time of impact, you have received a closed brain injury. This means that the injury occurred inside your skull, likely due to the brain shaking and hitting the inside walls of the skull.
Closed brain injuries are common among car crash victims and athletes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 70% of concussions in young athletes occurred due to contacting another player.
Penetrating Brain Injury
Penetrating brain injuries occur when the skull is broken during impact. Bullet wounds are a major cause of penetrating brain injury.
Though it may sound worse than closed brain injuries, both are causes for concern and should be treated with the same sense of urgency.
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)
A diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is when the nerve fibers tear as the brain rotates and moves around. This injury will typically leave you in a coma. This type of brain injury is also difficult to locate on brain scans.
Several incidents can cause a traumatic brain injury:
Motor vehicle accidents : Car/Truck crashes can cause injuries to drivers and passengers inside the vehicle when their heads knock around and hit a hard surface. Inner bruising may also occur. Pedestrians may also receive a brain injury if their head impacts the vehicle or the ground.
Falling : Slipping and falling can result in a traumatic brain injury if you hit your head on the way down.
Physical Violence: Any physical violence, whether it’s in the form of abuse or friendly competition in a football game, can result in a brain injury if the head is struck with too much force.
Inner Bruising: If the brain is shaken around and hits the inside of the skull, it could result in a traumatic brain injury.
According to the CDC, there were more than 233,000 non-fatal TBI-related hospitalizations in the U.S. The most common injuries requiring hospitalization were car crashes and falls. So, if you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident or had a bad fall, you’ll likely need prompt medical care.
If you bump your head hard but remain alert with minimal pain, how do you know when to seek medical attention? You should consult a T.B.I. specialist any time you hit your head just to be safe, but especially if you see any changes in your physical or mental abilities.
Cognitive Symptoms
Cognitive and mental changes are the telltale signs that you need to see a T.B.I. specialist. Schedule a visit immediately if you notice:
Physical Symptoms
Physical symptoms are also common in traumatic brain injuries:
Sensory Symptoms
After injuring your brain, you may notice:
You may not think of social symptoms as related to a brain injury. However, some injuries can severely affect your ability to behave as expected in social situations.
Functional Symptoms
If you experienced one of the common causes of traumatic brain injury, you may notice your basic functions are impaired or greatly affected:
