Traumatic Brain Injury

Every year in the U.S. thousands of people suffer brain injury in a variety of traumatic situations. The impact of brain injury goes beyond the individual who is hurt and encompasses loved ones and society as a whole. Protecting your brain from injury is not always possible all the time, but during high-risk activities, you would be wise to behave safely.

Approximately half of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by moving accidents, including:

* Auto accidents * Motorcycle accidents * Bicycle accidents * Pedestrian accidents * Premises liability (slip and fall) accidents

Regardless of how severe you think your accident might be, a physician should examine you. Even minor accidents might lead to some level of brain trauma. Many brain injuries might not present themselves until days, even weeks later. If you received any type of blow to the head, it is best to get your head examined right away.

Damage to the brain can affect a variety of bodily functions. Depending on the extent of the injury and the location, you may lose feeling in part of your body, be unable to think clearly, experience funny tastes or orders, or have some level of memory loss.

Types of Brain Injury

There are three broad classifications of brain injury:

* Mild - If you suffer from a mild brain injury, you may experience loss of consciousness for a few moments, headaches, confusion, or lightheadedness. * Moderate - If you have a moderate brain injury, you may experience the same symptoms and also suffer from worsening headaches, vomiting, nausea, convulsions, and seizures. * Severe - A combination of the above symptoms plus inability to be roused, dilation of one or both pupils, slurred speech, weakness, and numbness in the extremities would indicate a severe brain injury.

Most direct trauma to brain tissue is immediate and irreversible. When you are treated in an emergency, the primary concern for first responders is to minimize further damage. After a brain injury occurs, blood and cerebral spinal fluid could build up between your skull and your brain, putting pressure on your brain. This swelling might also cut off the oxygen supply to the affected area, resulting in tissue death. The damaged portion of the brain may never recover.

Many brain injuries never fully heal and long-term problems may result after brain trauma. Changes of personality, motor function, memory, and coma can be debilitating not only for the victim of a brain injury, but to the family members that must become caregivers as well. Hospital and rehabilitation costs and loss of productivity also affect society as a whole.

If you suffered a traumatic brain injury in Denver or Boulder, Colorado, please visit the website of Hull & Zimmerman today.


About the Author

If you suffered a traumatic brain injury in Denver or Boulder, Colorado, please visit the website of Hull & Zimmerman today.

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