Why Do Traumatic Brain Injuries Occur?
A brain injury is determined by the nature and the force of the impact to the brain. Traumatic brain injuries most often happen when the head suddenly hits an object or the object pierces the head and skull affecting brain tissue. The Mayo Clinic reports that the most common causes that can traumatically injure the brain are:
![Effects of Brain Injuries]()
Falls- Car Accidents
- Sports
- Explosive Blast
- Combat
FallsCommon Brain Injury Symptoms
The Mayo Clinic classifies symptoms of brain injuries into three categories:
- Physical Symptoms
- Sensory Symptoms
- Cognitive Symptoms
The Clinic further reports that there can be numerous indications that someone has sustained a traumatic brain injury. Those indications, or symptoms, can be divided into short-term and long-term symptoms.
Short-Term Brain Injury Symptoms
Short-term symptoms, unlike long-term symptoms, are generally only physical symptoms rather than sensory or cognitive symptoms. A non-exhaustive list of common short-term symptoms of brain injuries includes:
- Blood Infections
- Blood Vessel Damage
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Fuzzy or Blurry Vision
- Double Vision
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Light Sensitivity
- Vertigo
Long-Term Brain Injury Symptoms
While short-term symptoms are mainly contained to immediate or near-immediate physical onsets, long-term symptoms may not as appear immediate or seem as harmless. Long-term symptoms can emerge as physical, sensory, and or cognitive changes in the victim that suffered the brain injury.
Physical
- Problems Swallowing
- Impaired Hand-Eye Coordination
- Skin tingling/pain/itching
- Fluid Build-Up causing Headaches
- Continual Seizures
Sensory
- Ringing in Ears
- Loss of smell
- Loss of taste
- Loss of hearing
- Blind Spots in Vision
- Bitter Taste in Mouth
- Continual Foul Smell
Cognitive
Cognitive symptoms of traumatic brain injuries include trouble with:
- Memorizing new information
- Learning new skills
- Troubling Focusing
- Reasoning
- Making Decisions
- Critical Judgment
Other Brain Injury Symptoms
Beyond the categorization by the Mayo Clinic, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention includes more symptoms of traumatic brain injuries including the following:
Mood
- Irritability
- Depression
- Lethargy or Low Energy
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
Behavior
- Trouble Following Directions
- Trouble with Self-Control
- Verbal Outbursts
- Physical Outbursts
Sleep
- Sleeping More
- Sleeping Less
- Insomnia
Communciation
- Difficulty Speaking
- Difficulty Organizing Thoughts
- Difficulty Writing
- Difficulty Understanding Speech
- Difficulty Understanding Writing
- Trouble Following Conversations
Common Symptoms of Brain Injuries in Different Age Groups
The formerly listed symptoms can be present in any individual of any age. Nevertheless, there are some symptoms of brain injuries that emerge more frequently in adults than in children and vice versa.
Symptoms in Adults
- Persistent Headaches
- Decreased Coordination
- Slowed or Slurred Speech
- Insomnia
- Dilated Pupil or Pupils
- Unusual agitation or restlessness
Symptoms in Children
- Inconsolable fussing
- Non-stop crying
- Refusal to nurse
- Decreased attentiveness or interest in favorite toys/activities
Effects of Brain Injuries
Apart from injuries to the body, traumatic brain injuries can have significant negative effects on social and work life. An article published in the The National Library of Medicine showed that less than ⅓ of participants in a study worked full-time after a traumatic brain injury and all the participants generally had financial struggles. A similar study showed that only 40% of people who suffered a traumatic brain injury were still able to enjoy the same leisure activities they did before the injury.
