Unfortunately, the brain has the consistency of a soft-boiled egg. So, you can see the potential for problems. If the brain is somehow injured, the potential for bleeding, swelling and irreversible tissue damage is high.
Major brain injuries can lead to permanent disability or death. In Montana, brain injury is the leading cause of death due to trauma. Approximately 300 Montanans die from traumatic brain injuries every year. Many more Montanans are permanently disabled.
There are two main ways to injure your brain. The first, and most common in Montana, is by blunt-force trauma - meaning the head is smashed against another object. The most frequent causes are motor vehicle crashes (especially if the victim was not wearing a seat belt), falls and assaults.
The second way to injure your brain is by getting in the way of a penetrating object, such as a bullet. Bleeding leads to blood clots that compress brain tissue or to swelling, decreasing blood flow to the cells. Cells deprived of oxygen become damaged or die.
Even “minor” head injuries n ones that do not require hospitalization - can cause significant, long-term problems. The signs and symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury include a brief loss of consciousness, headache, confusion, nausea/vomiting, dizziness and memory or concentration problems. Some of these problems may not develop until days or weeks after the traumatic event.
The signs and symptoms of serious traumatic brain injury include seizures, infections, prolonged coma and death. Many patients survive their head injury to live a life complicated by seizures, personality changes and long-term problems with thinking, reasoning and communicating.
How do I prevent brain injury?
The best way to manage traumatic brain injury is to not get hurt in the first place. We are still not very skilled at “fixing” injured brain tissue, so prevention is the key.
Drive carefully and wear your seat belt. Most serious brain injuries in Montana are caused by people in motor vehicle crashes flying around inside their vehicle or being forcefully ejected from it.
Emergency services professionals also recommend wearing a helmet when engaging in recreational pursuits that can lead to head injury, such as riding snowmobiles or ATVs, skiing, climbing, riding horses, bicycling, skateboarding, etc.
And, many elderly people take falls that lead to brain injuries. Make homes safer by removing things you can trip over, removing small throw rugs that can slip, improving lighting, installing and using grab bars next to the toilet and in the tub or shower and wearing shoes or slippers with thin, non-slip soles.
For those interested in more information about traumatic brain injury, go to the Brain Injury Association of Montana’s Web site at www.biamt.org
Most minor and major brain injuries can be prevented, so please be safe.
John Bleicher is a registered nurse and trauma coordinator at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center.
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