Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury has significant importance for both the emergency personnel and high school coaches. While the majority of traumatic brain injuries occur from motor vehicle accidents there are a significant number of mild traumatic brain injuries, mild to moderate concussions, which occur on the football field and basketball courts. Without appropriate recognition of the symptoms either following an accident in the sports arena or during a car accident, individuals may be faced with a lifetime of challenges that result from the neurological damage which went unrecognized initially. Unfortunately, there are also individuals who experience tramatic brain injuries and hours later will suffer severe damage or even death because initial symptoms went unrecognized.
Traumatic brain injuries are classified as either mild, moderate or severe depending upon the amount of time an individual suffers from loss of consciousness and posttraumatic amnesia. In the case of a mild traumatic brain injury MRI and CAT scans are often normal while the individual may suffer such cognitive problems as headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficit, mood swings and increasing levels of frustration.
Mild traumatic brain injuries are most often overlooked because symptomatology at the time of injury can be minimal. However, even though this type of injury is defined as \”mild\”, the effect on the family and the injured person can be devastating and long-term. Other names which are commonly used for individuals who suffered from a mild traumatic brain injury include concussion, minor head trauma, minor TBI, minor brain injury or minor head injury.
Common symptoms of a mild shamanic brain injury include fatigue, headaches, visual disturbances, memory loss, poor ability to attend or concentrate, sleep disturbances, dizziness or loss of balance, irritability or emotional disturbances, feelings of depression and seizure activity. Other less common symptoms include nausea, loss of smell, sensitivity to light and sounds, mood changes and slowness and thinking.
These types of symptoms may not be noticed or present at the time of injury and can even be delayed by up weeks before they appear. They can be subtle and maybe noticed by both the injured person and family. Individual will look normal and often moves normal in spite of not feeling or thinking normally. Friends and family will may notice the changes in behavior before the injured person realizes there is a problem. However, as with many medical conditions, the earlier there is diagnosis and treatment initiated, the better success rate is achieved.
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury symptoms are more pronounced and is often present at the time of injury. These symptoms will include a headache that either worsens or does not go away. There is a potential for loss of consciousness, vomiting, loss of bowel control, slurred speech, memory loss, convulsions or seizures, dilation of one or more pupils and paralysis or numbness of the limbs.
These symptoms are often caused from either bleeding in the brain or from shear injuries to the nerve cells. Coma is another serious complication of a traumatic brain injury that may or may not result in death. Individuals can remain unconscious for days or even weeks before beginning to respond to stimuli.
Delayed symptoms of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury can include the inability to think clearly, amnesia, paralysis, irritability or depression, inability to speak, loss of bowel control, seizures, slurred speech or spinal fluid leaking from the ears and nose (especially from a severe brain injury).
Children who suffer from a traumatic brain injury can have the same symptoms as an adult but, especially in the case of a mild traumatic brain injury, it is often harder for them to communicate how they feel. Children may exhibit tiredness or listlessness, irritability, changes in eating habits, changes in sleep patterns, changes in the way that they play or performance school, a lack of interest in favorite stories, activities or a loss of balance.
Unfortunately, once an individual has suffered from a traumatic brain injury it is easier for them to suffer a second one. This is especially important in individuals who may have suffered from a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion while playing in a sporting activity. This can be compared to an individual who might have sprained her ankle playing basketball. Without allowing an appropriate amount of time for healing as well as rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles and ligaments, that individual is more at risk for suffering another sprained ankle which will be more severe the second time.
Parents and coaches of children and young adults who engage in sporting activities which carry with it a higher risk for trauma to the head, such as football, should be aware the symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury. These children should be evaluated by a neurologist for an appropriate diagnosis and any subsequent rehabilitation which is recommended in order to decrease the risk of long-term problems.
RESOURCES
Military.com: Traumatic Brain Injury: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
BrainLine.org: Basic Signs and Symptoms of TBI