National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month is observed during March. The color representing traumatic brain injury (TBI) is green. For this reason, wear a green enamel awareness ribbon pin, fabric ribbon, or green silicone wristband bracelet to call attention to this important awareness month.

National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) raise awareness about traumatic brain injury (TBI). As a result, improved prevention, recognition, and response can help address this important public health problem. Lastly, prevent traumatic brain injury by understanding the risks, signs, and symptoms.

National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month educates the public, for example, that the most common form of head injury is called mild traumatic brain injury, or “concussion.” Concussions do not happen just from sports, and they do not just happen to young adults. For example, concussions frequently happen to the aging population from falls and are overlooked. In addition, they are also common after car accidents or any other trauma to the skull. It is equally important to realize injury does not necessarily correlate with how hard the blow to the head is, and in 90% of cases, does not result in a loss of consciousness.

Could it Happen to Me? Things to Know During National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

Most of us never imagine that our lives could be impacted by a brain injury, but the BIAA reports that at least 2.8 million people sustain brain injury each year in the United States. Further, it’s important to know how brain injuries occur, and how to reduce them. Additionally, awareness is important if we want to reduce the number of incidents and keep our brains healthy.

To help increase awareness about brain injuries during Brain Injury Awareness Month, we’ve listed “Five Fast Facts About Concussions and Brain Health.”

1. Concussions Happen More Often Than You Think

According to the BIAA someone in this country will experience a brain injury every nine seconds. How d0es this happen so often?

Sudden bumps or jolts can cause the brain to bounce back and forth in the skull, causing injuries of varying degrees. Concussions are TBIs that can cause functional changes in the way our brains work.

Concussions most often occur as a result of blows to the head during:

• Sports and recreation activities.
• Car accidents.
• Slips and falls.
• Military combat involving explosives.
• Workplace accidents.

You can also incur a concussion from simple household mishaps, like accidentally walking into a door and banging your head. Lastly, while most concussions are luckily not life-threatening, long-term effects of TBIs can affect some patients and require prolonged medical care.

2. Concussion Symptoms Aren’t Always Obvious. National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

When they happen, concussions may or may not present themselves in obvious ways.

In addition, TBIs can cause the symptoms you might expect, such as:

• Headaches and/or migraines.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea.
• Ringing in the ears.
• Vision problems.

Unfortunately, concussions can sometimes go undetected because their symptoms may not appear related to a head injury.

These symptoms, for example, can include:

• Sleep difficulties or irregularities.
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Slower-than-normal reaction time.

Most individuals who experience concussions will fully recover within a few days or weeks. Others may, unfortunately, experience consequences for longer periods of time. If you or someone you care about has had a serious head jolt of some sort, early medical assistance can mean the difference between full recovery and living with some of those lingering longer-term and unpleasant symptoms. Most importantly, prompt assessment means that providers can establish individualized brain injury rehabilitation programs to maximize patient outcomes.

3. Older Adults Are at Higher Risk for Concussions, and Preventive Measures Should Be Encouraged More

We tend to think about head injuries as they relate to youth sports and professional athletes, but older adults also face high risks of concussion, often simply from falling. Harvard Medical School reported that head injuries from falling are a common cause of hospitalization and even death among individuals over age 65. And the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that, from data collected as recently as 2014, a full four in five TBI-related emergency department visits in older adults (aged 65 years and older) were the result of falls. In addition, hospitalization rates stemming from TBI-related emergency room visits were highest among persons 75 years of age and older.

Helping Seniors Prevent Falls and Concussions

Why not honor Brain Injury Awareness Month at home by taking a moment to make senior spaces a little safer?

Proactive steps, for example, can include:

• Removing home hazards like throw rugs.
• Lighting up living space to help avoid tripping.
• Employing assistive devices (like handrails, grab bars, raised toilet seats).
• Regularly reviewing medications with a doctor.
• Staying as active as possible.
• Wearing sensible shoes.

4. Helmets Help Prevent Head Injuries for People of All Ages. National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month

Brain Injury Awareness Month is a great time to remind everyone to wear their helmets. Studies consistently indicate that all of us can decrease our risk of serious brain injuries by simply wearing helmets. We urge everyone to wear helmets when motorcycle, bike or horseback riding, as well as when taking part in activities with a higher potential for head impacts, such as:

• Football
• Lacrosse
• Hockey
• Rollerskating
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Snowmobiling
• Skateboarding

Helmet-wearing should become second nature to children so they develop this good habit for life.

5. Screen Time Impacts Concussion Recovery.

University of Massachusetts supported reducing screen time for post-concussion patients to help reduce recovery times. The findings suggested that avoiding screen time in the first 48 hours of acute-concussion recovery may greatly shorten the duration of concussion symptoms.

Learn More About the Brain and Concussions

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) provides detailed information on the complex parts of the brain and how each has its specific task, controlling how we walk, talk, eat and balance, make decisions, process information and more. If you’re interested in learning more about brain injuries, including about treatment, diagnosis and support for patients and families, visit www.biausa.org or call the organization at 1-800-444-6443. You can also see what events the BIAA has planned for Brain Injury Awareness month here.