Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness
Traumatic brain injury(TBI) is a condition that affects the most vital part of the human body. An injury to the brain can permanently change an individual’s lifestyle and may even require long-term rehabilitation from specialty care facilities, like CareMeridian. TBI has been referred to as the “silent epidemic” due to the large number of individuals who sustain TBI’s each year.
According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention , traumatic brain injuries affect up to 1.4 million people each year and kill up to 50,000. In the United States alone, 5.3 million people live with disabilities due to a traumatic brain injury with many being unable to return to the life they knew before. Treatment often comes with a high price tag with reported US annual medical costs reaching up to $4.5 billion dollars in a year (1985). While the costs are high, these numbers don’t take into account the emotional and physical tolls that such a condition takes on the victims and their families.
The afflictions that occur due to a brain injury are wide spread and can affect the physical, cognitive, and emotional sectors of the brain. These injuries can change speech patterns, blur vision, erase memories, and may even result in behavioral mood swings that can change an individual’s personality. These effects can be long lasting and even irreversible, which is disturbing considering that TBI’s occur frequently.
TBI’s are caused by a wide variety of traumas, the leading cause being falls, which account for 28% of all cases. Motor vehicle accidents are second at 20%, yet motor vehicle accidents result in the most TBI related hospitalizations. In fact, studies have shown that over 280,000 people each year are admitted to hospitals for just head and brain injuries. However, if the right precautions are taken then the causes of TBI can be prevented and lives can be saved.
The best way to prevent a traumatic brain injury is through awareness. TBI can change who a person is and how a person acts, but by knowing the signs, symptoms, and causes of the injury, the “silent epidemic” can be kept from going unnoticed.
