According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.8 million Americans sustain traumatic brain injuries each year. A traumatic brain injury is one that is serious enough that it affects how the brain functions. It can be caused by serious accidents and incidents, but anything that causes bumps, blows, and jolts to the head and neck can cause concussions that lead to this type of injury.
There are many long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries that can affect you physically and emotionally. Learn more about the effects that can impact your life after a severe brain injury.
Physical Symptoms
After a traumatic brain injury, headaches may present themselves almost daily. They can worsen over time and can last for years after the injury. Dizziness and vertigo can be another consequence, as well as a heightened sensitivity to light and noise.
People also often experience visual difficulties. Convergence insufficiency is of particular concern. This is when your eyes cannot focus during near vision.
Fatigue is another concern that may not be so minor. Physical and mental fatigue can impact all aspects of life. And after more serious injuries, seizures might become a problem, with some people even developing post-traumatic epilepsy.
Problems may also extend throughout the body, including loss of mobility. Driving can become difficult, and fine motor skills like carrying objects and buttoning clothes can become a challenge.
Emotional and Cognitive Symptoms
Impaired memory is common after a traumatic brain injury. In many instances, there can be deficits in memory even ten years after the injury. Other common cognitive symptoms include:
- Difficulty managing time
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Personality changes
- Aggression
Irritability is another symptom that is usually not present immediately following an injury, but it often develops later.
Social Outcomes
People who suffer a traumatic brain injury usually have a harder time returning to work because the recovery process can be a long one. The loss of crucial cognitive skills can also make working harder, resulting in lost wages and unemployability.
Brain injuries often affect relationships as well. These injuries make it harder to socialize because they can affect a person’s ability to recognize facial expressions and remember prior conversations.
Is There Help for Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Stem cell therapy can help manage symptoms of traumatic brain injuries by slowing down the progressions of neurodegenerative conditions that such injuries can cause. It may also help with improving cognitive function and relieve some of the physical symptoms you may be experiencing, allowing for the healing process to begin.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for TBI, also known as stem cells for traumatic brain injury. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.