Traumatic brain injuries happen in falls, car accidents, workplace accidents, incidents of violence and in many other ways. They are among the most serious injuries that a person can suffer, and they can happen even if the skull itself isn’t significantly damaged. Movement of the brain within the skull can cause damage and bleeding, both of which can have serious ramifications.
Even brain injuries that do not show up on x-rays, CT scans or MRIs can have serious long-term effects. Those “Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries,” sometimes referred to as “closed head injuries” or “post-concussive syndrome,” can elude detection, especially by the patient. They can even occur without the person’s head actually hitting something, just by jostling the brain around inside the skull. Often, family members notice things like memory loss and irritability that the injured person doesn’t. If there is any concern that a brain injury may have occurred, even a “mild” one, early medical treatment can be critical, so one should not hold back on going to the doctor, thinking it will just go away.
One of the biggest challenges regarding these TBIs is that they may last for months, for years, or for life. It’s often hard for doctors to know at the beginning. Even with professional medical treatment, not all injuries can or do heal. This is just the nature of an injury to your most fragile organ.
Changes for life
If you do suffer life-long issues after a TBI, what are they likely to be? Here are a few potential challenges you may need to deal with moving forward:
- Progressive brain atrophy
- Seizures
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Sleep disorders
- Neuroendocrine dysregulation
- Loss of physical skills and mobility
- Communication issues
- Developing psychiatric problems
- Loss of memory
- Difficulty concentrating
- Headaches
For instance, you may feel like you have to re-learn how to walk after suffering from a TBI, even though your legs did not get injured at all. The issue is with the connections within your brain that tell your body to follow its commands. In some cases, these connections are repaired or the brain finds ways to work around the breaches, and skills return. In other cases, the connections are severed forever and you never regain the physical skills that you had before the incident.
This is why it’s hard for doctors to predict what is going to take place. They can give you an educated guess and monitor your progress, but everyone heals a bit differently and there’s no guarantee you’ll follow any set pattern.
Getting back on track
Injuries like this can change your life forever, leaving you with major medical bills and no income. It’s crucial that you understand your legal options as you work to get your life back on track.
