Home Articles Diseases and Ailments

 A traumatic brain injury is one in which an external injury or force causes the brain to dysfunction. This kind of injury is usually caused when the body, especially the head, receives a violent blow or a jolt. These external physical injuries can cause a lot of damage to the brain and the nervous system.

A mild traumatic brain injury may lead to only short-term dysfunction of the brain and it does not result in permanent loss of brain function. Such injuries can usually be treated and the damage can be reversed. A severe traumatic brain injury may cause permanent and irreversible damage to the brain and may even cause life threatening complications as well as eventual death.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury is always caused due to an external injury or a blow, which causes internal damage to the head, skull and the brain. The amount of force, location of the impact, and the nature of the event determine the severity of the injury. If an object penetrates the skull, it can cause severe damage to the brain and may cause death. A rotating or spinning impact on the skull can tear the cellular structures and cause permanent damage. Concussions that lead to bleeding in the brain may also cause traumatic brain injury. If the impact is not very forceful, the damage may be limited to the brain cells around the area that received the impact. Some of the most common causes of these injuries are given below.

• Falls: Falling from a high surface may cause brain injuries. However, sometimes simply falling out of your bed or slipping in the bath may also cause severe damage to the brain and the skull. This damage may be especially severe in old people and young children.
• Vehicle Accidents: Collisions that involve vehicles are known to be extremely dangerous and can lead to severely traumatic brain injuries. Both the people in the vehicle or pedestrians hit by a vehicle may experience such brain injuries and trauma.
• Violence and Terrorism: Domestic violence is a leading cause of brain trauma and injury. Gunshot wounds, bomb blasts, and combat injuries also cause irreversible brain damage. Violent shaking of babies can lead to shaken baby syndrome, which is another brain trauma injury that can be fatal.
• Contact Sports: Contact sports often lead to accidental injuries. Sports such as boxing, wrestling, soccer, hockey, football, and skateboarding are among many others that may cause brain damage. Almost all extreme sports carry a risk of brain injury.
  

References:

1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/traumaticbraininjury.html
2. http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/

 

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

 More articles from the Diseases and Ailments Category