Beware of Brain Injury

Perhaps one of the worst things that can happen to a survivor of an accident, aside from becoming paralyzed, is sustaining a brain injury. Sustaining traumatic brain injuries is very difficult since the injury is not visible to the ordinary people.

Moreover, even though there are machines and computers designed to examine the brain, there is always room for doubt regarding the extent of the injury. Sometimes, the actual physical damage does not show up on the CT scans or MRI’s. In these cases, a victim may look normal, but this appearance is deceptive and when the symptoms finally manifest, brings terrible suffering.

With all the modern and sophisticated medical technology nowadays, there is no tool to fix a damaged brain. Waiting out for the injuries to heal naturally is the only thing one can do. More often than not, relatives and friends of the sufferer feel more devastated and frustrated with this fact.

Sustaining brain injuries is a result of different kind of accidents or incidents. Penetration of a bullet or some other object to the skull results to open head injuries. This is the only case of brain injury, where the wound or damage is visible to others.

Motor vehicle accidents and bad falls can result to closed head injuries. This can happen when an outside force collides with the head and causes the brain to move and bump into the skull.

Meanwhile, accidents involving chemicals and toxins, like for example insecticides, carbon monoxide and lead poisoning may cause chemical brain injuries. This is a dangerous type of brain injury because it may ultimately result to permanent brain damage.

Some infections not treated immediately and allowed to grow within the body can severely affect the brain. Swelling of the brain may result to more damage when it is pressed against inside of the skull.

The brain needs oxygen to stay alive and well. In a case like hypoxia, once the body becomes deprived of oxygen for long intervals the brain no longer receives the oxygen it needs to continue functioning. This could lead to serious brain damage.

People suffering from severe stroke may also acquire brain damage. Once the flow of blood is blocked to and from the brain, it may cause irreparable damage to the brain cells. Sometimes, its effect is long lasting and the person becomes disabled or paralyzed.

Even mild brain injury or common traumatic brain injury can have numerous and long lasting effects to the victims and their family. Often the symptoms of having this mild brain injury are recurrent headaches, loss of memory, seizure attacks, and feelings of fatigue, dizziness or depression.

Friends and relatives of mild brain injury victims immediately notice subtle changes in their attitude. They begin to have poor concentration/attention, confusion, impulsiveness, difficult comprehension, irritability and speech problems, where once they do not have such problems. Some also feel chronic pain and difficulty in controlling their bowels.

Because the brain remains such a mystery, even to neurologists, the chances always exist that traumatic brain injuries get misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. It is very important to ensure a good compensation for brain injury victims to sustain their treatment and the loss of income brought on by their condition.