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Traumatic brain injury - protect your brain
What is a TBI? (from CDC)
(https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html)
A TBI is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild” (i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness) to “severe” (i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or memory loss after the injury). Most TBIs that occur each year are mild, commonly called concussions.2
How big is the problem?
· In 2013,1 about 2.8 million TBI-related emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths occurred in the United States.
o TBI contributed to the deaths of nearly 50,000 people.
o TBI was a diagnosis in more than 282,000 hospitalizations and 2.5 million ED visits. These consisted of TBI alone or TBI in combination with other injuries.
· Over the span of six years (2007–2013), while rates of TBI-related ED visits increased by 47%, hospitalization rates decreased by 2.5% and death rates decreased by 5%.
· In 2012, an estimated 329,290 children (age 19 or younger) were treated in U.S. EDs for sports and recreation-related injuries that included a diagnosis of concussion or TBI.3
· From 2001 to 2012, the rate of ED visits for sports and recreation-related injuries with a diagnosis of concussion or TBI, alone or in combination with other injuries, more than doubled among children (age 19 or younger).3
MAYO CLINIC
MAYO CLINIC:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557
Mild traumatic brain injury may affect your brain cells temporarily. More-serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the brain. These injuries can result in long-term complications or death.
Physical symptoms
Loss of consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes
No loss of consciousness, but a state of being dazed, confused or disoriented
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue or drowsiness
Problems with speech
Difficulty sleeping
Sleeping more than usual
Dizziness or loss of balance
Sensory symptoms
Sensory problems, such as blurred vision, ringing in the ears, a bad taste in the mouth or changes in the ability to smell
Sensitivity to light or sound
Cognitive or mental symptoms
Memory or concentration problems
Mood changes or mood swings
Feeling depressed or anxious
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries can include any of the signs and symptoms of mild injury, as well as these symptoms that may appear within the first hours to days after a head injury:
Physical symptoms
Loss of consciousness from several minutes to hours
Persistent headache or headache that worsens
Repeated vomiting or nausea
Convulsions or seizures
Dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes
Clear fluids draining from the nose or ears
Inability to awaken from sleep
Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
Loss of coordination
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries
Cognitive or mental symptoms
Profound confusion
Agitation, combativeness or other unusual behavior
Slurred speech
Coma and other disorders of consciousness
Common events causing traumatic brain injury include the following:
Falls. Falls from bed or a ladder, down stairs, in the bath and other falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury overall, particularly in older adults and young children.
Vehicle-related collisions. Collisions involving cars, motorcycles or bicycles — and pedestrians involved in such accidents — are a common cause of traumatic brain injury.
Violence. Gunshot wounds, domestic violence, child abuse and other assaults are common causes. Shaken baby syndrome is a traumatic brain injury in infants caused by violent shaking.
Sports injuries. Traumatic brain injuries may be caused by injuries from a number of sports, including soccer, boxing, football, baseball, lacrosse, skateboarding, hockey, and other high-impact or extreme sports. These are particularly common in youth.
Explosive blasts and other combat injuries. Explosive blasts are a common cause of traumatic brain injury in active-duty military personnel. Although how the damage occurs isn't yet well-understood, many researchers believe that the pressure wave passing through the brain significantly disrupts brain function.
Risk factors
•The people most at risk of traumatic brain injury include: •Children, especially newborns to 4-year-olds •Young adults, especially those between ages 15 and 24 •Adults age 60 and older •Males in any age group
USA TODAY - July 14, 2018
For Magdalena Brodka, four blows to her head changed her life.
The first, during a high school soccer game her senior year in 2013, happened when she went up for a ball and collided with another player. The next two happened during college play. The fourth at her job at a local soccer center, where she was hit by a ball as she stood by the sideline.
“It literally felt like someone was squeezing my brain,” said Brodka, an East Rutherford native. “By the second time, I just knew it was a concussion.”
Since her injuries, the avid soccer player has become sensitive to light, which forces her to wear sunglasses often. She suffers headaches — so much so that she got a Daith piercing, an alternative treatment that she believes helped her migraines lessen. She is also convinced she developed a stutter as a result of her injuries.
But one thing hasn’t changed: Brodka, 22, still plays soccer as often as she can.
Traumatic brain injuries like concussions, long associated with sports like American football or boxing, are often overlooked in the “beautiful game.” However, recent studies have shown concussions are a growing concern in youth sports, especially among girls. A 2017 study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons found that high school girls have a significantly higher concussion rate than boys, with female soccer players suffering the most concussions — even compared to football players.