Traumatic Brain Injuries

March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

The brain is a complex and vital organ that helps define who we are. It allows us to understand questions and solve intricate problems. It produces emotions and shapes our personalities. It keeps us alive biologically and spiritually. If the brain should experience damage then the essence of who we are could be lost forever. This is why traumatic brain injuries can cause grave damage to the life of its victim.

Brain Injuries Are More Common Than You Think

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a traumatic brain injury (also known as TBI) is an affliction that 1.4 million Americans sustain each year, 50,000 of which don’t survive. While TBIs have differing levels of severity (ranging from mild to severe), they are usually acquired from a simple injury to the head and/or neck. Falls are the leading cause accounting for 28% of TBIs, while auto accidents account for 20%. However, motor vehicle accidents have a higher frequency when it comes to TBI hospitalizations, which studies have shown effect more than 280,000 people each year.

A traumatic brain injury can have life-altering effects on a victim’s emotional and physical well-being. The injury may require years, if not decades, of special care and rehabilitation from care facilities like CareMeridian. The impairments from a brain injury can affect speech, vision, coordination, short-term and long-term memory, and may even result in mood swings and behavioral changes in personality. Considering that every brain injury is different, rehabilitation depends on the individual case and injury; yet, prevention is possible.

The Good News: Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Preventable

For an injury as debilitating as TBI, prevention is essential. Luckily, prevention is not difficult. When driving, the best way to avert a TBI is by wearing a seatbelt and not being under the influence of alcohol. In fact, according to the Brain Injury Association of America, more than 50% of people with a brain injury were intoxicated at the time of their injury. You should always wear a helmet when riding a bike, thus reducing the risk of a head injury by almost 90%. If the right precautions are taken, the severity of TBI’s can be drastically reduced.

There is a lot that is still unknown about the inner workings of the human brain. However, one thing known for certain is the life changing affects that a TBI can have on its victims as a result of irreversible damage to its function.

– Chelsea Travers
ctravers@caremeridian.com
www.caremeridian.com

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