A traumatic brain injury is a type of acquired brain injury. It’s not always something that can heal quickly; while some patients may find they’ve recovered in a few weeks, others may take a lifetime. Whenever you suffer a brain injury, you need to seek medical help immediately and worry about your settlement or legal obligations after you’re physically stable. It’s impossible to reverse damage once it’s done in most cases, so treatment focuses on reducing the risk of further injury and needs to take place as soon as possible.
When you suffer a brain injury, the first course of action will be to make sure your brain is receiving enough oxygen. This can help stave off any more severe injuries that could result from the initial wound. Controlling your blood pressure and providing reduced pressure to the brain also helps. You may be monitored for aneurysms, spinal instability, skull or neck fractures and other injuries when you initially seek treatment.
Once you’re diagnosed, you need to understand the prognosis of your injury. If your injury is severe, it’s possible that you may have to have surgery to remove or repair any damaged or ruptured blood vessels, since these can cause stress on your brain and further injuries due to extensive pressure buildup. You may or may not suffer a disability following your injury, but more serious head injuries may result in comas, sensory processing issues and cognitive disorders.
Fuente: National Institute of Neurological Disorders, “NINDS Traumatic Brain Injury Information Page,” accessed Jan. 08, 2016