Your friend complains of short spells of dizziness and headache. She later tells you that she had suffered from a mild head injury by slipping and falling in the kitchen. You also find out that she is also facing sensory problems like ringing in her ears and blurred vision. And before you know it, she is being admitted in the hospital as the previous symptoms have worsened.
Turns out that “mild” head injury had aggravated and turned into traumatic brain injury. Be it a blow or knock to the head and even a minor accident, taking such injuries lightly can result in severe brain damage. Some other causes include sports-related and motor vehicle accidents, falls, and physical assaults.
Understanding the symptoms hence becomes imperative for both the patient and the rehabilitation specialist. The rehab experts can then formulate a patient-centric therapy and exercise program for their betterment. Thus, it is integral for patients to understand the symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury:
• Cognitive – Problems in paying attention, getting distracted easily or unable to concentrate on any chore. Many patients also suffer from memory loss, confusion and problem in processing information.
• Sensory – Difficulty in interpreting temperature, touch, and movement. Sensitivity to sound and light are also common problems.
• Vision – Patients often complain of blurred vision. Also, partial or complete loss of vision and weakness of the eye muscles can be other issues.
• Physical – Loss of consciousness which can range from a few minutes to hours. Other symptoms of traumatic brain injury include nausea, persistent headache, seizures or convulsions, loss of coordination and weakness.
• Speech and language – Inability of understanding spoken words, slurring of speech, problems in reading and writing are some of the other symptoms.
It is understandable that a serious injury can have a major impact on a patient’s life. For gaining back independence, specialists advice that rehabilitation and therapy can be immensely helpful. There are different types of therapies which rehab experts recommend including:
1. Speech and language therapy
2. Occupational therapy
3. Physical or Physiotherapy
4. Cognitive therapy
With proper in-patient rehabilitative care, ensuring speedy and effective recovery of the patient becomes possible. Ignoring a serious brain injury for long can cause life-long damage. So for regaining your freedom, opting for the appropriate rehabilitation program becomes necessary.