… so many questions
All blows to the head should be considered serious & evaluated by a physician.
A very long list has falls the #1 cause followed by #2 striking or being struck by objects and #3 motor vehicle accidents. Head impacts can directly damage the skull and/or cause bruising (bleeding), tearing, and swelling to the brain inside. If that’s not enough, centrecoup injuries, a back and forth movement as in whiplash, can damage brain tissue on the opposite side of impact.
Most TBIs each year are mTBIs or concussions often caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a body hit causing the head and brain to move quickly back and forth (whiplash). This movement can cause:
- Brain to bounce around or twist in the skull
- Chemical changes in the brain
- Stretching, shearing and damaging brain cells
They are usually not life-threatening. Even so, effects can be serious and long lasting.
People with mTBI or concussion need to be assessed by a healthcare provider.
Healthcare providers can do tests to check for a mTBI or concussion.
Consider using telemedicine services if you are unable to visit a healthcare provider in person.
These brain changes can lead to symptoms that may affect how a person thinks, learns, feels, acts, and sleeps.Â
Denial and confusion are common after a head injury but “Put me back in, coach” is not a good idea. Get evaluated.
Symptoms may present as physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioral effects, appearing individually or in combinations.
LIST OF COMMON SYMPTOMS (opens in new tab)
In rare cases, a dangerous blood clot can develop crowding the brain against the skull. Call 911 or go to an emergency department if:
Danger signs in adults
- Have a headache that gets worse and does not go away
- Experience weakness, numbness, decreased coordination, convulsions, or seizures
- Vomit repeatedly
- Have slurred speech or unusual behavior
- Have one pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other
- Cannot recognize people or places, get confused, restless, or agitated
- Lose consciousness, look very drowsy or cannot be woken up
Danger signs in children
Call 911 or take your child to the emergency department right away if they received a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, and:
- Will not nurse or eat
- Have any of the danger signs for adults listed above
- Will not stop crying and are inconsolable
Dr. Glen Johnson, a clinical neuropsychologist in Michigan, wrote an excellent, down to earth TBI Survival Guide. It’s well organized and a good starting point for learning about brains, brain injuries and what comes after.
Brain injuries are classified and described in different ways. Each injury is as unique as the brain it affects but western medicine (i.e. insurance companies) likes neat and tidy categories. Here’s a good overview.
Yes, but …. recovery depends upon so many factors accurate predictions are nearly impossible. However, for most TBI survivors, it does get better. Brains do heal but it takes time; improvements can be subtle and continue gradually. Aging can complicate, imitate and/or mask brain injury symptoms.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE, is a brain disease likely caused by repeated head injuries. It causes the death of nerve cells in the brain, known as degeneration. CTE gets worse over time and has been widely publicized among certain professional contact sports. The only way to definitively diagnosis CTE is during an autopsy of the brain after death.
Thousands of others have been where you are now. Anger, frustration, grief, denial, the list goes on. It’s early on what may become a lifetime journey to your “new normal” but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Peer support groups are one way to get help, learn from others and avoid (or at least be aware of) hazards along the way.
some days just feel like this