Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

How Common Are TBIs?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2.9 million people suffer a brain injury each year. These injuries result in 56,000 deaths, 288,000 hospitalizations, and 2.5 million emergency department visits. TBIs are most commonly caused by falls within the home, but outside, they are frequently caused by car accidents, construction mishaps, and physical assaults.

Anyone can experience a TBI. However, older adults (65 or older) and people with chronic health conditions are most vulnerable. This is because of the increased risk of having a fall. 

Effects of TBI

TBI can have a range of effects—both immediate and long-term. The effects of TBI depend on how severe the injury (trauma) was and what part of the brain was damaged. It’s important to note that not all blows or jolts to the head will result in a TBI.

Immediate Effects

Often, medical complications occur just after an injury. Some immediate effects of TBI include:

• Seizures (uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain)
• Nerve damage
• Blood clots
• Narrowing blood vessels
• Stroke (loss of blood flow to the brain)
• Coma (a state in which a person can’t be woken)
• Infections in the brain

With proper treatment, the likelihood and severity of these problems typically decrease as time passes and the person’s condition stabilizes.

Long-Term Effects

TBI can cause problems with various brain functions, and some of these issues do not appear until some time has passed after the injury. Hours, days, or weeks after an injury, a person might experience issues with:

• Cognition, such as difficulty learning, remembering, and making decisions
• Communication, including trouble talking, reading, writing, and expressing thoughts and feelings
• Senses, such as blurry vision, loss of sense of taste, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and tingling or pain sensations
• Behavior, including difficulty navigating social situations and forming relationships
• Emotions, including depression, anxiety, unstable mood, and aggression

Wrapping Up

If you have a loved one who is living with a TBI, you need to remember that recovery is a process, not an event. Home care or brain injury services are often needed to help them rebuild the pathways in their brain and recover the abilities impacted after an injury. These services will help your loved one live as independently as possible while remaining at home and in their communities.

Do you have a loved one who is living with a TBI? Learn how our Brain Injury Services can help them regain confidence in their abilities