What Is Traumatic Brain Injury?
What is Traumatic Brain Injury? Well a TBI, as they are called, is a head injury that occurs when the brain is damaged by sudden trauma. An example would be a car accident or other violent injury that would cause the head to suddenly and forcefully impact an object like a windshield or other solid surface. The brain can be injured to a different extent, depending on how severe the impact to the head was that took place. The victim may or may not experience a loss of consciousness. They could also experience some combination of other symptoms, such as blurry vision, confusion, pain, ringing ears or a bad taste in the mouth, memory problems, behavioral changes, difficulty in concentration or thinking, or many other potential effects. A severe case might include severe symptoms like seizures, convulsions, and vomiting. A victim of a Traumatic Brain Injury should be treated immediately. There is not much that can be done to undo the initial damage to the brain so the best thing that can be done is to stabilize the individual with the goal of preventing further damage. A proper supply of blood and oxygen to the brain and throughout the body is very important at this point. Patients with a sever Traumatic Brain Injury may need surgery repair bruised brain tissue, known as contusions, or ruptured blood vessels, known as hematomas. Permanent disability may result and this could include a broad range of problems depending on the details of the injury itself, as well as the overall health and the age of the patient. One possible result of a Traumatic Brain Injury could be behavioral changes like personality changes, aggression, anxiety and depression. Another result of Traumatic Brain Injury may be cognition problems, which would include issues with memory, reasoning or thinking. Communication and sensory processing (sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste) can also be affected. A Traumatic Brain Injury may also induce a coma or vegetative state. In more serious cases, a Traumatic Brain Injury patient's therapy will typically include a combination of multiple types of therapy, such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and psychiatry. Research continues in laboratories and clinical studies to better understand Traumatic Brain Injury and the brain itself. Hopefully, in time, we will be able to better understand Traumatic Brain Injury and its effect on the brain and thus have better ways of treating and coping with its symptoms.
What Is Traumatic Brain Injury And How Is It Treated? Privacy Policy
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