Traumatic Brain Injury...The Unseen Harm
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(866) 735-1102 Ext 435
After a wreck, traumatic Brain Injury often goes undiagnosed in the Emergency Room. The doctors are worried about broken bones and other serious injuries and often overlook the most serious injury of all, traumatic brain injury (TBI). Every year, one in five hundred Americans have a TBI.
Not long ago, unlike a broken bone or a herniated disc, most TBI was invisible. This made this type of case difficult or almost impossible to prove. Now that most hospitals are equipped with a CT scan or an MRI a few more TBI are detected, but only 10% to 15% is detectable through traditional CT scan and MRI.
That means that as many as 85% of TBI go undetected! What causes this problem? Most TBI occurs on a microscopic level. During trauma, the brain undergoes a "shearing" phenomenon which destroys millions of cells instantly.
These cells are particularly fragile as they are long and thin and tend to stretch or even snap at the "axon".
Any violent movement of the skull may produce this shearing effect. Direct impact to the head is not necessary. Often an "acceleration/deceleration" injury is enough to cause a TBI. Sometimes the family or the attorney who spends time with the victim makes the connection.
Some symptoms common to TBI are, inability to focus on a task, mood changes, difficulty with problem solving, inability to name an object, difficulty with drawing, slurred speech, short term memory loss. These are just a few of many telling symptoms.
If you or a family member suspect TBI you should seek treatment from a health care provider who is familiar with this invisible injury.