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Head
& Brain Injuries
Two Million Brain Injuries Each
Year
Modern science and medicine are still learning about the functioning
of the brain. Brain injury is a common and complex injury
for which there is no current cure. Each year, two million
Americans suffer a brain injury, nearly 400,000 are hospitalized,
over 100,000 persons are permanently disabled, and 50,000
do not survive their injury. Head injury is the No. 1 killer
and disabler of persons under the age of 44. Brain injury
is the leading cause of death and disability among children
in America.
Impact
of Brain Injury
The death toll from head injury is a major problem but the
even greater issue is surviving a severe brain injury. Brain
injuries may cause physical, emotional, intellectual, social,
occupation and other difficulties. Regrettably, the problems
presented by brain injury impact nearly all aspects of life
and the injured person sometimes has difficulty returning
to the "same" life, functioning, and personality.
Many people survive brain injuries which would have previously
been fatal because of improvements in cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
and increasingly sophisticated life support treatment in intensive
care units, many people now survive.
The
majority of those who are brain injured are young adults.
They typically have normal life expectancy but will require
special care. Most head injuries are very mild and require
little medical attention and may require a short period of
time to recover. Regrettably, recovery from a major head injury
may be long and difficult. These factors can frustrate patients
and families.
The brain takes time to heal. Recovery can take weeks, months,
or years. Many injured parties spend a significant part of
their lives trying to fully recover. Brain damage is sometimes
irreversible.
Brain injuries are difficult to predict in terms of the extent
and type of damage, and with regard to the possible outcome.
Nearly all brain injuries produce a unique set of brain injuries
and unique problems and concerns.
Types
of Brain Injury
Most brain injuries are viewed as "open head injury"
or "closed head injury." Open head injury typically
occurs when an object penetrates the skull, such as a bullet
or other object. Closed Head Injury is the most common head
injury and occurs when the head suffered rapid movement and
the brain bounces or has movement within the skull. The most
common causes of close head injuries are vehicle accident
and falls. In addition to open and closed head injuries, additional
complications related to brain injury may occur such as anoxia.
Anoxia, for example, is when the brain does not have sufficient
oxygen, which may be caused by heart attack, stoke, or choking.
Common
Problems
The
Thinking Problems
- Memory
problems
- Attention
problems
- Concentration
problems
- Communication
problems
- Reasoning
problems
- Impaired
judgment
The
Body Problems
- Speech
problems
- Vision
problems
- Hearing
problems
- Headaches
- Feeling
problems
- Loss
of coordination
- Muscle
problems
- Seizures
- Sleeping
problems
The
Social Problems
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Emotional
instability
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