Traumatic brain injury is brought about by an external force to the head. It can vary from a minor strike to the head with brief dizziness to a life-threatening brain injury from major trauma.
The injury occurs more often among males, usually between the ages of 15-24 years old. The risk is also increased after the age of 60.
What are the causes?
The usual cause of traumatic brain injury is vehicular accidents where almost half of cases require hospitalization. Physical activities or sports is the second common cause followed by assault. Individuals over the age of 65 are at risk for the injury from falls.
What are the indications to watch out for?
Any form of traumatic brain injury must be taken seriously. If there is any loss of consciousness, regardless of how brief, a doctor must be seen right away. Even if unconsciousness does not occur, the several hours that follow the injury are vital and should monitor for the following:
- Restlessness
- Headache
- Slurred speech
- Vomiting
- Memory loss
- Pupillary changes
- Increased drowsiness
- Confusion with the date or time
In case any of these symptoms arise, a doctor should be seen right away since these might indicate that the brain is swelling or bleeding.
Management of traumatic brain injury
Even though not all cases can be prevented, there are measures that can be taken to lower the risk for injury. Individuals who use motorcycles without wearing a helmet are at higher risk for traumatic brain injury.
The presence of airbags in vehicles have drastically lowered the cases of traumatic brain injury. Among the elderly, paying close attention to fall prevention techniques can prevent the injury. The management and recovery for traumatic brain injury varies for everyone.
Disclaimer / More Information
The information posted on this page on traumatic brain injury is for learning and educational purposes only. To learn to recognize the indications of head injuries, register for first aid training at one of our training centers located throughout Canada. The training centers are in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Saskatoon, Victoria, Surrey, Mississauga, Winnipeg, Red Deer, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.