Classifying the Severity of Traumatic Brain Injury

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Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a result of some exterior trauma that leads to brain injury. There are a multitude of different causes for TBI, including but not limited to: sports related injuries, work related injuries like those on construction sites, car accidents, and violence. Depending on the severity of injury and resulting symptoms, traumatic brain injury can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. It’s important to distinguish the type of TBI that a patient has sustained as it can be a predictor of further complications or length of recovery required. The following breaks down how to classify traumatic brain injury.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

This type of brain injury usually occurs due to low impact head injury, like that seen commonly in contact sports. Mild traumatic brain injury typically leads to no immediate loss of consciousness after the initial insult, and has symptoms ranging from migraines and headaches, to difficulty concentrating and low energy. If loss of consciousness does occur, it normally lasts less than 30 minutes, and patients often do not suffer from more serious signs of injury like nausea, vomiting, drooping of eyelids, or loss of sensory and motor function. Along with this, loss of memory may be present, but also usually lasts less than 30 minutes before returning to normal.

Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Like mild brain injury, moderate brain injury can also have signs of headache and a decreased attention span. However, loss of consciousness can last greater than 30 minutes but not longer than 24 hours. Loss of memory may also be present for up to a week depending on the severity of injury. More serious signs such as repeated episodes of uncontrollable vomiting, inability to move arms or legs, and severe levels of agitation however are not present.

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Severe TBI often is a result of high impact automobile collisions, work related accidents like seen on construction sites, or physical assault using a blunt object. Symptoms typically involve immediate loss of consciousness that lasts longer than 24 hours, and can even progress to long term coma.  Unlike mild and moderate traumatic brain injury, loss of memory can last for weeks or even months, and the most severe cases can lead to focal neurological signs like an inability to move one or more extremities. Patients also have repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting, a sign that there has been a greater level of damage within the brain, as well as increased light-sensitivity, agitation, restlessness, and loss of sensation on one or both sides of the body. 

Because of the symptoms that are present, recovery could take months or even years. Most patients experience the most recovery after participating in regular physical therapy sessions, receiving adequate rest, and maintaining a proper diet that promotes brain recovery.

Conclusion

Classifying traumatic brain injury is one of the most important steps to determining long term prognosis and recovery. While mild TBI has a greater chance of recovery sooner, more severe TBI can require months or even years for symptoms to completely resolve. Regardless of the severity, consult your doctor for resources on how to best treat traumatic brain injury and ensure a path towards recovery.

Acknowledgement

Maria M. Booking Specialist

Riverside House Cleaning Agents

3681 Sunnyside Dr UNIT 2131

Riverside, CA 92506

(951) 200-5440

Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Process

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Traumatic brain injury, often referred to simply as a TBI, refers to injury of the brain caused by some external force. The most common causes include motor vehicle accidents, contact sports related injuries, work related injuries, and physical assaults. This injury can often lead to anything from temporary symptoms of headaches and fatigue to more serious symptoms such as coma and even death. Fortunately, most TBI cases lead to eventual recovery, but the process can take some time depending on the severity of the initial insult.

What Are The Symptoms of a TBI?

Symptoms after a TBI can give a lot of important information regarding the long term prognosis and recovery. For example, a patient who experiences a mild TBI with no loss of consciousness can expect symptoms such as headaches, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and agitation that can last up to six months before recovery. 

However, more serious symptoms like extended periods of unconsciousness after an initial injury, difficulty moving extremities, changes in sensation of the skin, repeated nausea and vomiting, or drooping of the eyelids point towards a more severe injury, and can take longer for recovery.

How Long Does Recovery Take?

The length of recovery depends on both the cause and extent of the injury, as well as the types of symptoms that are present. 

Mild causes of traumatic brain injury that only lead to relatively benign symptoms like headaches and difficulty concentrating can typically take up to six months. However, more severe symptoms and causes for injury could take as long as 2 years or longer for recovery. Most patients with severe TBI experience the greatest recovery within a year, but may still have residual issues with motor function that require more time to regain full strength.

How to Promote Recovery?

There are many things that can be done to help with the recovery process.

Firstly, adequate rest is extremely important, especially right after an initial injury when the symptoms are the worst. This means getting adequate sleep, taking a break from work or school if possible, and doing activities at home that are easy to perform and relaxing. If you have difficulty getting rest, natural remedies like tea and acupuncture have been shown to have some benefit, along with yoga, meditation, and controlled breathing exercises.  

Secondly, having regular physical therapy and/or occupational therapy can drastically help improve motor function and strength. Though the signs of improved strength aren’t apparent overnight, having regular sessions can lead to massive leaps and promote overall healing of the brain and nerves that may have been damaged over the long term.

Conclusion

Traumatic brain injury has led to over 200,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States alone according to the CDC. Most patients can experience months or even years of symptoms depending on the severity of injury. Fortunately, recovery can be promoted by getting adequate rest, having a proper diet, and having regularly scheduled physical therapy sessions that help your brain rewire and regrow some dead nerve cells. Though the path to recovery can take some time, there is hope and resources available at every step of the way.