Brain Injury:
Each year in the United States an estimated 1.4 million
people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) - a blow or
jolt to the head, which can disrupt the function of the
brain. The severity of a TBI can range from a mild
concussion to the extremes of coma or even death. At
least 5.3 million Americans currently live with disabilities
resulting from TBI.
The Healthy Brain:
To understand what happens when the brain is injured, it
is important to realize what a healthy brain is made of
and what it does. The brain is enclosed inside the skull.
The skull acts as a protective covering for the soft brain.
The brain is made of neurons (nerve cells). The neurons
form tracts that route throughout the brain. These nerve
tracts carry messages to various parts of the brain. The
brain uses these messages to perform functions. The
functions include our coordinating our body’s systems,
such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and
metabolism; thought processing; body movements;
personality; behavior; and the senses, such as vision,
hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Each part of the brain
serves a specific function and links with other parts of
the brain to form more complex functions.
The Injured Brain:
When a brain injury occurs, the functions of the neurons,
nerve tracts, or sections of the brain can be affected. If
the neurons and nerve tracts are affected, they can be
unable or have difficulty carrying the messages that tell
the brain what to do. This can change the way a person
thinks, acts, feels, and moves the body. Brain injury can
also change the complex internal functions of the body,
such as regulating body temperature; blood pressure;
bowel and bladder control. These changes can be
temporary or permanent. They may cause impairment or
a complete inability to perform a function.
Definition of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):
TBI is an insult to the brain, not of a degenerative or
congenital nature but caused by an external physical
force, that may produce a diminished or altered state of
consciousness, which results in an impairment of
cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also
result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional
functioning. These impairments may be either
temporary or permanent and cause partial or total
functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment.
Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury:
A traumatic brain injury occurs when an outside force
impacts the head hard enough to cause the brain to
move within the skull or if the force causes the skull to
break and directly hurts the brain.
A direct blow to the head can be great enough to injure
the brain inside the skull. A direct force to the head can
also break the skull and directly hurt the brain. This type
of injury can occur from motor vehicle crashes, firearms,
falls, sports, and physical violence, such as hitting or
striking with an object.
A rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head can
force the brain to move back and forth across the inside
of the skull. The stress from the rapid movements pulls
apart nerve fibers and causes damage to brain tissue.
This type of injury often occurs as a result of motor
vehicle crashes and physical violence.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Inury:
After an impact to the head, a person with a brain injury
can experience a variety of symptoms but not
necessarily all of the following symptoms. This
information is not intended to be a substitute for medical
advice or examination. A person with a suspected brain
injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the
emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an
emergency.
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include, but are
not limited to:
Spinal fluid (thin water-looking liquid) coming out
of the ears or nose;
Loss of consciousness; however, loss of
consciousness may not occur in some
concussion cases;
Dilated (the black center of the eye is large and
does not get smaller in light)or unequal size of
pupils;
Vision changes (blurred vision or seeing double,
not able to tolerate bright light, loss of eye
movement, blindness);
Dizziness, balance problems;
Respiratory failure (not breathing);
Coma (not alert and unable to respond to others)
or semi-comatose state;
Paralysis, difficulty moving body parts, weakness,
poor coordination;
Slow pulse;
Slow breathing rate, with an increase in blood
pressure;
Vomiting;
Lethargy (sluggish, sleepy, gets tired easily);
Headache;
Confusion;
Ringing in the ears, or changes in ability to hear;
Difficulty with thinking skills (difficulty “thinking
straight”, memory problems, poor judgment, poor
attention span, a slowed thought processing
speed);
Inappropriate emotional responses (irritability,
easily frustrated, inappropriate crying or laughing);
Difficulty speaking, slurred speech, difficulty
swallowing;
Body numbness or tingling; and
Loss of bowel control or bladder control
Williamson & Krauss has the necessary experience to
handle complex brain injury cases and has worked with
some of the foremost medical experts in the fields of
Neurology, Psychiatry, and Psychology. We understand
the devastating effects brain injuries have on our clients
and their families.
If you, a friend or a loved one has suffered a brain injury,
call us today at (818) 226-5700 or contact us online for
a FREE CONSULTATION.
Each year in the United States an estimated 1.4 million
people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) - a blow or
jolt to the head, which can disrupt the function of the
brain. The severity of a TBI can range from a mild
concussion to the extremes of coma or even death. At
least 5.3 million Americans currently live with disabilities
resulting from TBI.
The Healthy Brain:
To understand what happens when the brain is injured, it
is important to realize what a healthy brain is made of
and what it does. The brain is enclosed inside the skull.
The skull acts as a protective covering for the soft brain.
The brain is made of neurons (nerve cells). The neurons
form tracts that route throughout the brain. These nerve
tracts carry messages to various parts of the brain. The
brain uses these messages to perform functions. The
functions include our coordinating our body’s systems,
such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and
metabolism; thought processing; body movements;
personality; behavior; and the senses, such as vision,
hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Each part of the brain
serves a specific function and links with other parts of
the brain to form more complex functions.
The Injured Brain:
When a brain injury occurs, the functions of the neurons,
nerve tracts, or sections of the brain can be affected. If
the neurons and nerve tracts are affected, they can be
unable or have difficulty carrying the messages that tell
the brain what to do. This can change the way a person
thinks, acts, feels, and moves the body. Brain injury can
also change the complex internal functions of the body,
such as regulating body temperature; blood pressure;
bowel and bladder control. These changes can be
temporary or permanent. They may cause impairment or
a complete inability to perform a function.
Definition of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):
TBI is an insult to the brain, not of a degenerative or
congenital nature but caused by an external physical
force, that may produce a diminished or altered state of
consciousness, which results in an impairment of
cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also
result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional
functioning. These impairments may be either
temporary or permanent and cause partial or total
functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment.
Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury:
A traumatic brain injury occurs when an outside force
impacts the head hard enough to cause the brain to
move within the skull or if the force causes the skull to
break and directly hurts the brain.
A direct blow to the head can be great enough to injure
the brain inside the skull. A direct force to the head can
also break the skull and directly hurt the brain. This type
of injury can occur from motor vehicle crashes, firearms,
falls, sports, and physical violence, such as hitting or
striking with an object.
A rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head can
force the brain to move back and forth across the inside
of the skull. The stress from the rapid movements pulls
apart nerve fibers and causes damage to brain tissue.
This type of injury often occurs as a result of motor
vehicle crashes and physical violence.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Inury:
After an impact to the head, a person with a brain injury
can experience a variety of symptoms but not
necessarily all of the following symptoms. This
information is not intended to be a substitute for medical
advice or examination. A person with a suspected brain
injury should contact a physician immediately, go to the
emergency room, or call 911 in the case of an
emergency.
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include, but are
not limited to:
Spinal fluid (thin water-looking liquid) coming out
of the ears or nose;
Loss of consciousness; however, loss of
consciousness may not occur in some
concussion cases;
Dilated (the black center of the eye is large and
does not get smaller in light)or unequal size of
pupils;
Vision changes (blurred vision or seeing double,
not able to tolerate bright light, loss of eye
movement, blindness);
Dizziness, balance problems;
Respiratory failure (not breathing);
Coma (not alert and unable to respond to others)
or semi-comatose state;
Paralysis, difficulty moving body parts, weakness,
poor coordination;
Slow pulse;
Slow breathing rate, with an increase in blood
pressure;
Vomiting;
Lethargy (sluggish, sleepy, gets tired easily);
Headache;
Confusion;
Ringing in the ears, or changes in ability to hear;
Difficulty with thinking skills (difficulty “thinking
straight”, memory problems, poor judgment, poor
attention span, a slowed thought processing
speed);
Inappropriate emotional responses (irritability,
easily frustrated, inappropriate crying or laughing);
Difficulty speaking, slurred speech, difficulty
swallowing;
Body numbness or tingling; and
Loss of bowel control or bladder control
Williamson & Krauss has the necessary experience to
handle complex brain injury cases and has worked with
some of the foremost medical experts in the fields of
Neurology, Psychiatry, and Psychology. We understand
the devastating effects brain injuries have on our clients
and their families.
If you, a friend or a loved one has suffered a brain injury,
call us today at (818) 226-5700 or contact us online for
a FREE CONSULTATION.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Williamson & Krauss Tel: (818) 226-5700 |