11 Facts About Traumatic Brain Injury
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on December 20, 2015
Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI is a term used to cover a broad spectrum of issues from mild concussions to severe head injuries. This head trauma could be the result of injuries sustained during car accidents, slip and fall accidents and incidents of assault or violent shaking.
Traumatic brain injuries sometimes involve bleeding, bruising, swelling and motor or speech impairment. Because these injuries range from mild to severe, generally speaking it is best to treat these symptoms with rest, medicine and sometimes physical therapy.
According to the Brain Trauma Foundation, around 1.7 million people experience a TBI each year. And many people who experience a TBI end up living with long-lasting disabilities.
Because everyone is at risk of suffering from a TBI, it is important to understand brain injuries. Here are 11 facts you should know about traumatic brain injury from the CDC and the Brain Trauma Foundation.
- Traumatic Brain Injury is the leading cause of death and disability for children and adults ages 1 to 44 years of age.
- A yearly total of 52,000 deaths are the result of traumatic brain injury.
- About 1.4 million Americans are living with disabilities as a result of traumatic brain injury.
- In the U.S., a brain injury occurs every 23 seconds.
- Brain injuries affect 1 in 5 households in Kentucky.
- Severe brain injuries are responsible for a lifetime of lost wages, equivalent to $1.5 million dollars.
- While TBI can occur at any age, over half of all injuries are sustained before the age of 21.
- About 5.3 million Americans are living with a traumatic brain injury daily.
- Out of all of the traumatic brain injuries seen in the Emergency Room, 75 percent of these cases are identified as “mild.”
- The only cure for brain injury is prevention.
- Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (35%) followed by car accidents (17%).
All of these facts are helpful when understanding the basic information surrounding traumatic brain injury. While these provide a scary glimpse into issues of head trauma, it might be beneficial to understand ways to identify head trauma. After you or someone you know has experienced an incident resulting in head injuries, it is best to seek medical attention immediately. This will help address any brain injuries that may not be immediately evident. Physicians are able to check for physical signs of brain injury by analyzing a person’s reflexes, strength and coordination.
With a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, ranging from mild to severe, your physician may prescribe a treatment plan based on your injury. For severe cases, your doctor may prescribe physical or occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and maybe even counseling. Along with these types of therapies, there are social support groups available to help those affected by traumatic brain injury. With mild cases, lots of rest and pain relief medications are typically recommended to treat traumatic brain injuries.
Regardless of the severity, all traumatic brain injuries should be taken seriously. Recovery from a TBI is often gradual and can take anywhere from a few months to years. While most people with a mild TBI fully recover from the injury, those with more severe injuries often suffer from long-lasting effects. If you or someone you love has been a victim of an accident causing a traumatic brain injury, you might benefit from legal representation. For a free consultation with an injury attorney, call Cooper & Friedman at 502-459-7555 now.