Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Head injuries are injuries to the brain, skull or scalp, concussions are a type of head injury. The severity of head injuries can be hard to assess when just looking at a person. A cut with bleeding can easily be detected and assessed. Injuries to the brain can be harder to evaluate and treat. Below are the types of head injuries seen at Meridian Medicine.
Concussion
Concussion is a term most people have heard and understand. It is often referred to as getting your bell rung. Concussions can occur with or without loss of consciousness. New research is revealing long-term consequences of concussions that are not properly cared for or from repeated concussions. Concussions are considered the most minor of brain injuries, but concussions can still turn dangerous. People often don't realize they have a concussion. People account for symptoms as something else. Common symptoms of concussion that are missed are; headache, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, poor concentration, depression and more.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries
Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) can occur with slips or falls, sports injuries and car accidents. mTBI can occur when there is a rapid change of direction causing the brain to bump up against the skull. The brain is one of the most sensitive structures in the body, it is also the most important. The brain controls all that the body does, injuries to the brain can be life changing. TBI are classified as mild if there is; loss of consciousness of less than 30 minutes and/or there is confusion and disorientation. Symptoms of mTBI are similar to concussion. All types of brain injury require assessment by a qualified physician, chiropractors are great resources for this assessment, as well as for care of concussions and mTBI.