Ouch, my head hurts!

Head injuries or brain injuries are, well, when some external or internal cause damages one’s brain. It can be anywhere from being nothing to fatal, considering how sensitive our brains are. Depending on how hard and what kind of impact you take, it could affect a portion, multiple portions, or the entirety of your brain. Yeah, that sounds serious and it is.

Well, to know more, let’s try and learn the types of brain injuries. Broadly, there are traumatic brain injuries (the ones where you’re introduced to some external force that causes damage) and non-traumatic (the ones caused by some internal factor).

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The most common type of traumatic brain injuries are concussions, derived from a Latin word which means “to shake violently” and that’s more or less what a concussion is. A direct blow to the head, a violent shake, whiplash, basically any sudden impact can cause a concussion and the one who experiences it often goes unconscious and even if they don’t, they tend to feel stunned. There may or may not be a visible mark and sometimes the damage caused by concussions aren’t shown up in imaging tests which makes concussions very complex to deal with. Most concussions get healed in a few days but sometimes they can be fatal.

Then there are contusions, which are bruises, blood capillaries are damaged, and it’s usually caused by heavy blows to the head. The damage can be severe, and surgery can be required with a healing time of several weeks. Yeah, sounds really bad. Some contusions can be so impactful that it displaces the brain and causes additional contusion on the other end as the brain hits the skull. This is called coup-contrecoup injury.

Then comes diffuse axonal injury (DAI) which involves the head moving so rapidly that the brain fails to catch up and keeps getting hit by the skulls from different sides causing axons to tear up, brain chemicals to release and so on causing damages that can lead to coma or even death. Survivors often have irreparable functional impairments depending on the areas of damage.

Finally, penetration, happens when some foreign object forces into the brain structure or causes skin, bones or such of one’s own body to thrust into the brain. This can range from damage in a small portion to compete “through-and-through” penetration. The most common cause for this type of injury is gunshots and the damage is usually fatal.

That concludes Traumatic Brain Injuries. Stay with me, we’re on to the non-traumatic brain injuries.

Non-Traumatic Injury

A stroke can lead to brain injury as majority of strokes are caused when the supply of blood to brain is blocked, usually due to the arteries growing narrow or due to internal clots. Occasionally, hemorrhages can occur internally, sometimes as a result of a traumatic brain injury or something leading to the brain fluids to mix with each other and can lead to further complications such as oedema and anoxia (reduced oxygen supply).

Anoxia is a serious issue because brain consumes the maximum oxygen in the body and even slight differences in those levels can cause permanent damage to the affected areas. Sudden impactful hits like a heart attack, suffocation, drowning, strangulation, can all cause anoxia.

Toxins built up in body due to metabolic disturbances, exposure to such that affect oxygen uptake, reduced glucose supply, and even certain chemical changes leading to one’s own immune system attacking and damaging the brain cells is possible. Occasionally, viruses or bacteria may make their way into the tough protection of brain can cause infections that can be life threatening Often, these are harder to be diagnosed and treated and need special care and expertise.

How bad is it?

Mild Traumatic Injuries can result in brief loss of consciousness, feeling nauseous, confusion and the likes. They’re often ignored as initial diagnosis rarely indicate trouble, but the symptoms of concussions are to be observed, if present.

Moderate Traumatic Injuries can also lead to loss of consciousness for a prolonged period, disturbed state of mind and behavior. This needs proper attention and care, and most individuals recover well from such, though, often, people endure lifelong impairments from such.

Severe Traumatic Injuries include heavy impact blows or penetration and can be life threatening and the damages caused are often irreparable. It is considered a miracle if one ever goes back to their initial state after such an injury.

Moreover, brain injuries can pave the road for further complications such as functional impairments that may or may not remain throughout life, degenerative diseases, cognitive deficits or several other factors that lead to an earlier death.

Takeaway?

Yes, that must’ve been a lot to process. We all trip or get our head hit on some edge or roof, get hit by a ball while playing sports, and so on. We often take our powerful skull and our wise brain for granted. Reconsider that from today. Don’t take a hit head on and say, “I’m okay”, you may not be.

Always wear a helmet while riding a bike or playing sports that involve high impacts. When you or someone around you gets hit and feels dazed or lose conscious, take them to a physician. Always check for wounds or marks, take care and observe a head injury (area of contact, headache, behavior) even after a proper diagnosis is done and one is declared clear. Do not take that beautiful organ of yours that make you what you are for granted.