Brain Injuries
What are Brain Injuries?
A brain injury that is not genetic, congenital, degenerative, or caused by birth trauma is known as an acquired brain injury (ABI). This is a sort of brain injury that occurs after a person is born. The brain’s neuronal activity changes as a result of the injury, affecting the physical integrity, metabolic activity, and functional ability of nerve cells in the brain.
Traumatic and non-traumatic are the two forms of acquired brain injury.
An external force that causes a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a change in brain function or other signs of brain pathology. There are two types of traumatic impact injuries: closed (or non-penetrating) and open (or penetrating).
A non-traumatic brain injury, also known as an acquired brain injury, occurs when the brain is damaged by internal factors such as a lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, pressure from a tumor, and so on.
Causes of Brain Injuries
| TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CAUSES | NON-TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CAUSES |
|---|---|
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Signs & Symptoms
- Spinal fluid (thin, clear liquid) coming out of the ears or nose
- Loss of consciousness
- Dilated (the black center of the eye is large and does not get smaller in light) or unequal size of pupils
- Vision changes (blurred vision or seeing double, not able to tolerate bright light, loss of eye movement, blindness)
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Respiratory failure (difficulty breathing)
- Coma (not alert and unable to respond to others) or semi-comatose state
- Paralysis, or difficulty moving body parts
- Weakness
- Poor coordination
- Slow pulse
- Slow breathing rate, with an increase in blood pressure
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Headache
- Confusion
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), or changes in ability to hear
- Difficulty with thinking skills (difficulty “thinking straight”, memory problems, poor judgment, poor attention span, a slowed thought processing speed)
- Inappropriate emotional responses (irritability, easily frustrated, inappropriate crying or laughing)
- Difficulty speaking (slurred speech, difficulty swallowing)
- Body numbness or tingling
- Loss of bowel control or bladder control