Traumatic Brain Injury Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic Brain Injury is an injury to the brain brought about by a blow or jolt to the head from limit or infiltrating trauma the injury that happens at the moment of impact is known as the primary damage. Primary damage can include a particular lobe of the brain or can include the entire brain. At times the skull might be cracked, however not generally. During the effect of a accident, the brain crashes forward and backward inside the skull bringing on bruising, bleeding and tearing of nerve fibers

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

The Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury include

Falls,
Motor vehicle and pedestrian-related accidents,
Collision-related (being struck by or against) events,
Violent Assaults.

Sport-related injuries and explosive blasts/military combat injuries are other leading causes of Traumatic Brain Injury. Acquiring a brain injury may predispose an individual to additional brain injuries before the symptoms of the first one have resolved completely.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury can have wide-ranging physical and psychological effects. Some signs or symptoms may appear immediately after the traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later.

Mild traumatic brain injury

The signs and symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury may include:

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
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 the following 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

Cognitive or mental symptoms

Profound confusion
Agitation, combativeness or other unusual behavior
Slurred speech
Coma and other disorders of consciousness

Children’s symptoms

Infants and young children with brain injuries may lack the communication skills to report headaches, sensory problems, confusion and similar symptoms. In a child with traumatic brain injury, you may observe:

Change in eating or nursing habits
Persistent crying and inability to be consoled
Unusual or easy irritability
Change in ability to pay attention
Change in sleep habits
Sad or depressed mood
Loss of interest in favorite toys or activities

Diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury

Questions about the circumstances of the injury
Assessment of the person’s level of consciousness and confusion
Neurological examination to assess memory and thinking, vision, hearing, touch, balance, reflexes and other indicators of brain function
Depending on the nature of the traumatic brain injury and the severity of symptoms, brain imaging with computed tomography (CT) may be needed to determine if there’s bleeding or swelling in the brain.