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Currently, there are at least 5.3
million Americans living with a disability because of a brain injury and
the cost to society is estimated at $56.3 billion annually. Every 23
seconds, a traumatic brain injury occurs and in the next year, 1.4
million Americans will sustain a TBI with more than 235,000 being
hospitalized.
To raise awareness so that the
public better understands brain injury and its life-altering
consequences, BIAA announces the availability of new materials for the
public, those who have experienced a brain injury, their family
members/caregivers, professionals and interested persons. |
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A new
brain injury awareness packet and materials are now available. |
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Cars, Shaken Baby Syndrome,
Bicycles, Guns, Scooters, Sports
Brain injury is unpredictable in its
consequences. Brain injury affects who we are, the way we think, act,
and feel. It can change everything about us in a matter of seconds. The
most important things to remember:
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A person with a brain injury is
a person first
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No two brain injuries are
exactly the same
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The effects of a brain injury
are complex and vary greatly from person to person
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The effects of a brain injury
depend on such factors as cause, location, and severity
A Healthy Brain
To understand what happens when the
brain is injured, it is important to realize what a healthy brain is
made of and what it does. The brain is enclosed inside the skull. The
skull acts as a protective covering for the soft brain. The brain is
made of neurons (nerve cells). The neurons form tracts that route
throughout the brain. These nerve tracts carry messages to various parts
of the brain. The brain uses these messages to perform functions. The
functions include our coordinating our body’s systems, such as
breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and metabolism; thought
processing; body movements; personality; behavior; and the senses, such
as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Each part of the brain
serves a specific function and links with other parts of the brain to
form more complex functions.
An Injured Brain
When a brain injury occurs, the functions of the neurons, nerve tracts,
or sections of the brain can be affected. If the neurons and nerve
tracts are affected, they can be unable or have difficulty carrying the
messages that tell the brain what to do. This can change the way a
person thinks, acts, feels, and moves the body. Brain injury can also
change the complex internal functions of the body, such as regulating
body temperature; blood pressure; bowel and bladder control. These
changes can be temporary or permanent. They may cause impairment or a
complete inability to perform a function.
Causes of Traumatic
Brain Injury
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A traumatic brain injury occurs
when an outside force impacts the head hard enough to cause the
brain to move within the skull or if the force causes the skull to
break and directly hurts the brain.
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A direct blow to the head can be
great enough to injure the brain inside the skull. A direct force to
the head can also break the skull and directly hurt the brain. This
type of injury can occur from motor vehicle crashes, firearms,
falls, sports, and physical violence, such as hitting or striking
with an object.
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A rapid acceleration and
deceleration of the head can force the brain to move back and forth
across the inside of the skull. The stress from the rapid movements
pulls apart nerve fibers and causes damage to brain tissue. This
type of injury often occurs as a result of motor vehicle crashes and
physical violence, such as Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Definition: Traumatic Brain
Injury
Traumatic brain injury is an insult to the brain, not of a degenerative
or congenital nature but caused by an external physical force, that may
produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in
an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can
also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning.
These impairments may be either temporary or permanent and cause partial
or total functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment.
Adopted by the Brain Injury Association Board of Directors, February 22,
1986. This definition is not intended as an exclusive statement of the
population served by the Brain Injury Association of America.
Symptoms
A person with a suspected brain injury should contact a physician
immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an
emergency.
After an impact to the head, a person with a brain injury can experience
a variety of symptoms but not necessarily all of the following symptoms.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice
or examination. A person with a suspected brain injury should contact a
physician immediately, go to the emergency room, or call 911 in the case
of an emergency. Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include can
include, but are not limited to:
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Spinal fluid (thin water-looking
liquid) coming out of the ears or nose
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Loss of consciousness; however,
loss of consciousness may not occur in some concussion cases
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Dilated (the black center of the
eye is large and does not get smaller in light)or unequal size of
pupils
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Vision changes (blurred vision
or seeing double, not able to tolerate bright light, loss of eye
movement, blindness)
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Dizziness, balance problems
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Respiratory failure (not
breathing)
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Coma (not alert and unable to
respond to others) or semicomatose state
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Paralysis, difficulty moving
body parts, weakness, poor coordination
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Slow pulse
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Slow breathing rate, with an
increase in blood pressure
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Vomiting
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Lethargy (sluggish, sleepy, gets
tired easily)
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Headache
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Confusion
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Ringing in the ears, or changes
in ability to hear
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Difficulty with thinking skills
(difficulty “thinking straight”, memory problems, poor judgment,
poor attention span, a slowed thought processing speed)
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Inappropriate emotional
responses (irritability, easily frustrated, inappropriate crying or
laughing)
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Difficulty speaking, slurred
speech, difficulty swallowing
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Body numbness or tingling
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Loss of bowel control or bladder
control
A person with a suspected brain
injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the emergency room,
or call 911 in the case of an emergency.
For more
information, contact the Brain Injury Association of America. |
Midnight Sun
Holistic Health
Clinical
Herbalist
301-270-1582
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