Walking, talking, thinking, reasoning and remembering, as well as regulating body temperature and bowel and bladder movement are common functions we often take for granted. But when someone suffers a brain injury, one or all of those functions can be taken away in a matter of seconds.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), an estimated 2.4 million American children and adults suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and 795,000 individuals sustain acquired brain injuries (ABI).
Your brain, which is divided into six sections, controls all of your bodily functions. When an individual suffers a brain injury, their symptoms will stem from the portion of the brain that was hurt. The BIAA lists impaired functions determined by the portion of the brain which was injured:
- Injuries of the left side of the brain can cause:
- Difficulties in understanding language (receptive language)
- Difficulties in speaking or verbal output (expressive language)
- Catastrophic reactions (depression, anxiety)
- Verbal memory deficits
- Impaired logic
- Sequencing difficulties
- Decreased control over right-sided body movements
Injuries of the right side of the brain can cause:
- Visual-spatial impairment
- Visual memory deficits
- Left neglect (inattention to the left side of the body)
- Decreased awareness of deficits
- Altered creativity and music perception
- Loss of “the big picture” type of thinking
- Decreased control over left-sided body movements
Diffuse Brain Injury (The injuries are scattered throughout both sides of the brain) can cause:
- Reduced thinking speed
- Confusion
- Reduced attention and concentration
- Fatigue
- Impaired cognitive (thinking) skills in all areas
If you recently suffered from a TBI and just don’t feel normal, visit your doctor immediately. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the sooner you get help, the better. Also, rest is very important when it comes to healing. However no two brain injuries are alike and treatment methods vary depending on the severity of the injury.
For more information visit:
Brain Injury Association of America
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention