TBI FACTS

A TBI, or traumatic brain injury, is trauma that affects how an individual’s brain works. TBIs can be caused by non-invasive means, such as a blow or bump to the head, or by penetrative means, like a gunshot to the head.

The severity of a TBI depends on several factors of an individual, including age and injury type. TBIs in younger children have the potential to disrupt development, in older adults they can go unnoticed and cause other health issues if not treated properly. All three types of TBIs are serious, though they may not all be life-threatening.

Most sufferers of a concussion will be able to recover in a couple weeks. Those with longer lasting symptoms may be diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome, side effects of which include the loss of focus, memory, and sleep.

Long-term effects and symptoms of a TBI most commonly include headaches, seizures, spas-ticity, loss of balance, dizziness, sleep problems, reduced cognition, depression, and personality changes.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 patients who have experienced a traumatic brain injury have dealt with mental health disorders as a result of their injury. The severity and longevity of the mental health disorder depends on the type of trauma that was endured and how it was inflicted.

Brain injuries can affect emotional and behavioral responses that can make a person seem different than their pre-TBI self. Mood swings, little emotion, and aggression are most common differences.

TBIs can be classified into one of three categories: mild (or concussion), moderate, and severe.

While all TBIs are serious, not all have permanent symptoms. Most mild TBIs can be recovered safely while at home within a few months. TBIs classified under the moderate or severe categories may require longer care and treatment, and could be life-long conditions.

Because of neuroplasticity, or the ability of your brain to adapt to experiences, your brain is able to “re-learn” certain tasks and behaviors after a TBI. Repetition is the key to kickstart neu-roplasticity, so a commitment to therapeutic exercises is necessary to see improvements.

Spasticity is the condition where a muscle is continually contracted due to damaged neurons in the brain. Closed fists and rigid limbs are characteristic of an individual with spasticity.

Depending on the type of brain injury, symptoms can be present in a variety of ways. Some of the most common side effects of brain trauma include headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, speech problems, dizziness, blurred vision, ear ringing, unpleasant taste, ability to smell, light sensitivity, loss of consciousness, seizures, pupil dilation, nose or ear drainage, numbness, con-fusion, agitation, and slurred speech.

TBIs do have the ability to get worse over time, but the rate of degeneration can be greatly slowed with therapies and other exercises prescribed by doctors.

Every head injury is unique to a patient, and not all injuries can present symptoms in the same way. Signs or symptoms of a TBI may become apparent at once, within 24 hours, within days, within weeks, or maybe not at all.