Brain Injury Awareness

By Medha Saraiya

June 29

Whether it is slip and fall, or a motor vehicle collision or knocked unconscious while playing hockey, in a split second everything can change because of a brain injury. While not all head traumas will lead to permanent impairment, even a simple bump or blow to the head can cause an injury capable of disrupting a person’s normal brain function.

Brain injuries are mostly an invisible injury. Every person responds differently, and a mild blow may cause very severe complications for some patients. But the injury may be not apparent at first. There is much left to be learned about the brain and how this delicate organ responds to trauma.

Fortunately, most people who sustain a concussion or suffer a mild brain injury will recover fully and will generally do so within a few days or weeks. There are those for whom symptoms will last longer, suffering the consequences for many months, years, or throughout their lifetime. The earlier your brain injury is identified, and the level of damage assessed, through various tests such as a CAT scan, MRI, X-ray or other screening tools, the faster you can seek treatment and avoid more serious complications that could lead to permanent damage or even death.