by Lisa Putnam

Created on: January 19, 2011   Last Updated: January 21, 2011

Traumatic brain injury, otherwise known as TBI, is a type of brain damage that occurs from a sudden trauma to the brain.  The most common reasons for TBI are motor vehicle accidents, violent crime, falls, sports, recreational activities, lightening strikes, and electrical shock.  It is estimated that 1.7 million people suffer from a traumatic brain injury every year including 52,000 deaths annually. 

Symptoms

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries may cause a person to lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes; although not everyone who suffers from a TBI loses consciousness.  Symptoms may also include headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, ringing in the ears, confusion, blurred vision, tired eyes, fatigue, a bad taste in the mouth, problem sleeping, sleeping too much, mood changes, and/or problems with concentration, memory, and/or thinking.  People with moderate to severe TBI may have some of the above symptoms plus a worsening headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, dilation of one or more eyes, a lack of coordination, slurred speech, restlessness, confusion, and/or an inability to wake up. 

Treatment and Recovery

People who are suffering from a suspected Traumatic Brain Injury should seek medical help right away.  It is hard to reverse brain damage so trained medical staff work hard to stabilize a victim of TBI to prevent further damage.  Medical staff generally focus on bringing adequate oxygen to the brain and the body, ensuring adequate blood flow, and stabilizing blood pressure.  It is common for sufferers to receive skull and neck x-rays and imaging tests including the computed tomography scan or CT scan.  Roughly half of all patients who suffer from ruptured blood vessels in the brain known as hematomas and bruised brain tissue which are called contusions require surgery to remove the damage.

Patients who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury are encouraged to get plenty of rest and to take their time in returning to their day to day lives with work or school.  They are also urged to avoid doing anything that would put them at risk for another injury to the brain.  Those who suffer from even mild TBIs over even a long period of time of even years can suffer from cumulative neurological problems and those who suffer from repeated TBIs in a span of days or weeks are at risk for death. 

Recovery is inconsistent at best.  The brain is a complex organ that is not fully understood in

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