Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.  

Complications of traumatic brain injury vary depending on the cause and the extent of brain damage. Some of the most common traumatic brain injury complications include personality changes, insomnia, headache, cognitive disabilities and sensory changes. More severe traumatic brain injury complications include pooling of blood in the head (hematoma), epilepsy, amnesia, paralysis, coma and death. Additionally, studies have suggested a link between traumatic brain injury and the development of both Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

 

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Common causes of TBI:

Sources: Wikipedia, AllAboutTBI, NINDS and Mayo Clinic
Image: Reclaiming

What are the symptoms?

A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. 

A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.