Head Injury Effects and Brain Health Tips After Concussions or MTBI and Traumatic Brain Injuries
When a concussion or traumatic brain injury occurs, the effects and symptoms of these injuries aren't always immediately noticeable. With a standard concussion, symptoms tend to last for 7-10 days for athletes and for upwards of a couple of months for non-athletes before dissipating completely, after which these individuals feel perfectly fine and healthy. Unfortunately, nearly 30 percent of all individuals who suffer from a concussion will go through long-term side effects, many of which affect the brain. Whether you go through a minor traumatic brain injury or a concussion, it's important to understand how these injuries can affect the health of your brain on a long-term basis.
How Concussions and Severe Head Trauma Affect the Brain
A concussion is a minor form of traumatic brain injury that can adversely affect the overall health of the brain. While the effects of a concussion are usually temporary in nature, it's possible for them to persist and cause deterioration in brain health as a person ages. Even though concussions and traumatic brain injuries can occur for a wide range of reasons, they are typically brought about by a blow to the head.
When this trauma occurs, the immune system will react immediately, which will result in inflammation surrounding the affected areas. The portions of the brain that have been affected by the concussion will suffer from a short breakdown of some of the structures within the cells. While these structures are shut down, the cells won't receive the oxygen they require for normal functions, which is why affected individuals will experience an array of symptoms.
When these cells are damaged, attempting to do something that's controlled by these cells will likely result in failure. For instance, the affected individual may be unable to balance properly. While separate neural pathways in the brain will be used to help the individual complete these tasks, they will be less efficient. Over time, the injury will likely heal, which means that the cells and neural pathways can resume their standard functions. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. There are times when some of the cells and structures surrounding them don't heal properly, which can result in persistent symptoms.
Upon experiencing concussions or traumatic brain injuries multiple times, a person's chances of developing long-term symptoms will invariably increase. While the long-term effects and symptoms of brain injuries can be frustrating to deal with, there are steps that the affected individual can take to reduce the symptoms and lead a normal life.
Primary Symptoms of Brain Injuries
When suffering from a concussion or minor traumatic brain injury, there are some basic symptoms that a person should expect to go through while healing from the injury. Keep in mind that more severe traumatic brain injuries may result in more damaging symptoms that require immediate medical attention. The most common symptoms pertaining to brain injuries can be separated into four categories of cognitive-related symptoms, mood-related symptoms, blood-pressure symptoms, and sensory-related symptoms.