The Brain Trauma Foundation estimates that 2.5 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury that causes damage to the brain. These injuries often happen in vehicle accidents or during recreational sports activities.
TBIs usually involve the head violently hitting something or an object piercing the skull and damaging brain tissue. A traumatic brain injury can cause many problems, including long-term conditions. Learn more below about how a traumatic brain injury can affect you or a loved one.
Long-Term Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury
The long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury depend on where the injury took place in the brain.
Trauma to the frontal lobe or the forehead can result in behavioral issues, like engaging in risky and inappropriate behavior. This is the area of the brain that controls problem-solving, planning, and impulses.
Trauma to the right side of the brain can cause problems processing visual information and make it difficult to perform everyday tasks.
Injuries to the left side of the brain may lead to speech difficulties, problems with logic, and problems understanding other people.
With a severe traumatic brain injury, there can also be long-term effects like the following:
- Chronic headaches
- Balance problems
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Visual changes
- Mood swings
- Reduced language skills
- Seizures
- Paralysis
TBIs cause more than just physical symptoms. Anxiety and depression can also be a long-term concern, as can post-traumatic stress disorder.
Treatment for a Traumatic Brain Injury
When a traumatic brain injury is severe enough to leave long-term effects, the goal of treatment is to prevent further damage. Most of the time, this means ensuring there is ample blood flow and plenty of oxygen reaching the brain. One of the biggest problems for ensuring this, however, is inflammation.
After an injury, the immune system sends cells to the area of the trauma, causing swelling. Swelling in the brain can lead to tissue damage and the death of neurons (brain cells).
Many are exploring regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, as a possible alternative option. Stem cell therapy offers the potential to restore some of the functions lost after a traumatic brain injury. It has shown to help reduce inflammation, halting further brain damage.
Stem cell therapy may help prevent further cognitive problems after a traumatic brain injury. This promising alternative treatment may help improve cognitive function as well as reduce inflammation.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for TBI, also known as stem cells for traumatic brain injury. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.