Misconceptions About Traumatic Brain Injuries

 

Over 1.5 million people a year suffer from a traumatic brain injury (called a TBI). But despite the fairly common nature of the injury, many people don't completely understand exactly what a traumatic brain injury is. A TBI is defined by the CDC as any injury-a bump, blow, or penetration-that affects the activity of the brain, either for the short or long term. Traumatic brain injuries can range in severity from mild (often displayed as a concussion) to severe injuries that can cause amnesia or a coma.

There are many misconceptions about traumatic brain injuries. The three most common include:

1) You Must Strike Your Head to Sustain a Brain Injury:

A common misperception is that you must strike your head to sustain a TBI. In fact, the brain can be injured even if there is no direct impact or penetration to the skull. Instead, the brain can also be injured by general impact to the body which could be violent enough to cause the brain to move forcefully within the skull, thus leading to an injury. If you've are having memory problems, emotional changes, or headaches after an accident, you should seek medical attention for a possible Head Trauma Treatment even if you didn't directly injury your head.

2) Brain Injuries Show Up Immediately:

Often times a TBI does not manifest itself until several days after the initial injury. This is a common occurrence among people who suffer a mild injury in a car accident-they feel fine immediately after the accident, but some hours later, they begin to suffer from memory loss, headaches, and changes in behavior. If you are involved in an accident where you strike your head, you should go to the hospital to be checked out even if you don't feel any immediate changes. If you refuse medical care and later feel the impact of the accident on your head, you should seek medical care immediately. Besides ensuring your health, medical documentation is important if you need to file a personal injury claim with an insurance company.

3) The Brain Heals Itself:

While the brain is miraculous and can substantially recover from large injuries, it is not always completely able to heal itself. A traumatic brain injury can be seen like a bruise to the brain-sometimes this bruise heals itself, but other times it can be permanent. A secondary injury to the brain, such as a fall caused by a change in the balance after an initial TBI, can make a brain injury substantially worse and can cause greater changes in the brain's abilities. You should always seek medical help after any type of TBI so that a doctor can keep track of your progress or any marked changes in brain activity that might occur. The best way to ensure that the brain heals itself to the best of its ability is to seek medical help. A variety of rehabilitation services are available to help people relearn skills that they have lost due to a TBI.

Traumatic brain injuries can cause long term effects in your behavior, your memory, and your physical abilities. You should always seek a hospital or brain injury treatment centers after a suspected TBI.