Things You Need to Know About Brain Injuries

Why is Brain Important?

The human brain is the most crucial organ in the human body. It is called the Seat of Intelligence because it helps us interpret the world around us.  Though we have organs for sight, smell and sound, those would not function properly if not for the brain. It also affects a person’s sense of speech,  movement and balance.

Different Brain Injuries Include:

Brain injuries mainly caused either by trauma (called traumatic brain injury) or its because of an illness (called as Acquired Brain Injury).  Moreover, most of the trauma injuries include normal head injuries but not all injuries fall under this section.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury, it indicates that it is caused by an extreme external force, such as a blow or a jolt to the head.
This injury also caused by a result of rapid deceleration or acceleration, typically of motorcycle or car accidents.

Usually, the skull is either fractured or penetrated in these cases. If an object damages the skull and enters into an outermost membrane that surrounds the brain, then it is called an open head injury.

A closed injury occurs when the object does not damage the skull. In vehicular accidents,  the frontal area is often injured – and if severe, the cerebrum function is compromised.

Traumatic brain injuries mostly occur due to falls or even sports injuries. Contact sports such as boxing can cause repetitive head trauma, some of which also leads to drastic repercussions in the long term.

Traumatic brain injuries are always caused due to an external force. Doctors use a scale called the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to identify the severity of the head injury into three categories – Mild, Moderate and Severe.

Mild injuries usually result in headaches, blurred vision and mood changes. However, the effects usually dissipate within a short period of time.  Moderate injuries can cause convulsions, slurred speech and other impediments. Severe injuries are the most life-threatening; immediate medical attention must be given to the victim.

Acquired Brain Injury

An acquired brain injury occurs at the cellular level as a result of an illness. It can also be caused due to pressure on the brain.

Tumours in the brain generally build up pressure, and if left unchecked, it can cause healthy brain cells to die. If enough brain cells die, the function of the brain is compromised. Other causes of acquired brain injury is that exposure to toxic substances or ingestion of poisons.

Even heart attacks can cause permanent brain damage – when the brain cells are deprived of oxygen, they start dying. Physical assault such as strangulation and choking can cut off the brain’s blood supply, thereby depriving the brain cells of oxygen.

When a person drowns, they are at risk of developing acquired brain injury. Prolonged deprivation of oxygen in the blood combined with a cardiac arrest can make the brain cells to die quickly. If enough brain cells die, then brain death occurs, and recovery is generally considered impossible in such cases.

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