Mild Traumatic Brain Injury:
Causes:
Most mild head injuries (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury or MTBI) are caused by motor vehicle accidents, work related injuries, or "slip and fall" accidents. The acceleration / deceleration forces on the brain cause it to bump against the inside of the skull resulting in contusions click here. This "whiplash" force can also "shear" or unravel the protective insulation around nerves causing "leaking" of the electrical impulse - similar to your television set when a squirrel eats the insulation making your picture fuzzy and snowy.
Symptoms:
The most common symptoms reported by patients are:
Fatigue
Headache
Short-Term Memory Problems
Difficulty Concentrating
Difficulty Multi-Tasking
Trouble Finding the Right Word
Transposing Numbers or Words
Difficulty with Organization
Sleep Disturbance
Forgetful and Losing Things
Depression
Anger, Irritability and Impatience
Disorientation and Getting Lost
Roller Coaster Moods
Overwhelmed by Light, Noise or Too Much Stimulation
Ringing in The Ears
Recovery:
Head injuries recover slowly. Eighty percent of improvement comes within the first six months, with the other 20% taking up to another 18 months. Two thirds of patients will spontaneously recover with time alone, but they must be patient. If improvement is not noted within the first six months, or it plateaus at a point where there is still cognitive disruption, then further intervention is necessary.