Traumatic brain injury or TBI is also known as acquired brain injury. About 1.4 million Americans encounter such injury every year. Traumatic brain injuries are again put into the spotlight because of the tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson due to epidural hematoma after sustaining a head injury in a skiing lesson. This type of traumatic brain injury involves the build-up of blood on the space between the dura mater (i.e. the outermost membrane surrounding the brain) and the skull, creating a pressure on the brain.

Traumatic Brain Injury is any event to describe an injury causing damage to the brain. The head injury may be a sudden and violent trauma such as a blow, jolt or when the head hits an object. Penetrating trauma could also lead to a traumatic head injury. Bullets or knives may penetrate through the skull and may also leave debris, causing further injury.

Traumatic brain injury may be mild, moderate or severe. Symptoms of mild brain injury include confusion, headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, sleep difficulties, mood swings, and inability to focus, remember or make sound judgment. Others experience blurred vision, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and body weakness. A patient may either remain conscious or momentarily lose consciousness. Symptoms of moderate to severe brain injury include repeated vomiting, convulsions, agitation, increased confusion, dilation of eyes (the pupils of our eyes become enlarged), impaired speech, loss of balance, and unconsciousness, aside from the symptoms of mild head injury.

Causes and Risk Factors

Events that cause traumatic brain injuries include falls (28%), vehicle crashes (20%), and assaults (11%). Risk factors include age, gender and occupation. Children and seniors have high risk for head injuries. Studies show that traumatic head injuries occur more in men than women. Lastly, certain occupations increase the risk for sustaining head injuries. These include military duties and construction jobs.

Prognosis

Prognosis highly depends on the severity and extent of the damage. Some traumatic brain injuries may lead to full recovery while some may have long-term consequences. These include difficulty in sensory perception (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste), communication and cognitive functions (memory, concentration and judgment). Some traumatic brain injuries may result to coma and death.

Treatment

Call or consult your physician immediately. Your doctor may recommend home care or may instruct you to take your loved one to the hospital. Patients with mild to moderate head injuries may be subjected to X-rays to determine presence of fractures in the skull or spine. For severe cases, patients should receive medical attention right away. A computed tomography or CT scan, an imaging test to examine soft tissues, may be required. It is critical that patients with severe head injury be given adequate oxygen supply. Most of the cases involving severe brain injury require surgery to remove hematoma, a mass of blood as a result of ruptured blood vessel.

Care Plan

The care plan depends on the type of head injury encountered. Thus the care plan is tailored to the needs of your loved ones. For minor head injuries, home care may be recommended. Use ice packs and apply for 20-30 minutes; repeated every 2-4hours to reduce swelling. Do not directly apply onto skin. Analgesic medications may be given to relieve pain.

Severe traumatic head injuries, on the other hand, may result to more severe disabilities. These include stupor which is a state of mental and physical impairment but not completely unconscious, and reflexes remain intact. Thus, more extensive rehabilitation is needed in this situation. Physical therapy, speech therapy, or psychiatric help may be needed. Your loved one may also need assistance in order to carry out daily activities. Other patients with severe head injury may go into a vegetative state wherein they remain unconsciousness but still have sleep-wake cycle. Others go into a vegetative state for more than one month, a condition known as persistent vegetative state.

Prevention of head injuries is still the best care plan. Fall-proof areas of your home that is prone to falls and injuries. These include the stairs, kids' room or baby room, bathroom and garage. Install handrails on both sides of stairs. Use safety treads to prevent slips while climbing or coming down the stairs. Attach bars on both sides of bath tubs. Use non-skid mats on bathroom and kitchen floors. Clear bedrooms, especially your children or baby's room, of clutter to prevent accidental tripping and bumping.