BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH
Be it a traumatic head injury, substance abuse, or decline, in an instant brain injuries can potentially alter someone for the rest of their life. However, there is still a path forward. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, where we do our best to increase awareness concerning brain injuries as well as educate concerning treatment options.
Statistics courtesy of Brain Injury Association, www.biausa.org
There are two main categories of brain injuries. The Brain Injury Association (BIA,) lists the two types as follows:
- An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI,) sometimes called a Non-Traumatic Brain Injury, is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma (such as a stroke.)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is caused by trauma to the brain from an external force.
Treatment for brain injuries depends on the severity of the injury, per Mayo Clinic. Mild injuries can usually be treated with over the counter pain relievers … but the individual will need to be closely monitored. A doctor will then give the “green light” when a return to normal schedule is appropriate.
However, mild and severe traumatic brain injuries require immediate emergency care. Medical workers will then make sure that the individual has enough oxygen, blood, and a balanced blood pressure while still ensuring no further injury occurs in the head or neck.
Mild and severe injuries will need rehabilitation, and may include rehabilitation specialists such as physiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language therapists, neuropsychologist, social workers, rehabilitation nurses, TBI nurse specialists, recreational therapists, or vocational counselors.
However, while undergoing rehabilitation many grow frustrated, and wish to return to life before the injury.
Per the BIA, “Many people with disabilities have their lives defined for them. The More Than My Brain Injury campaign gives individuals a chance to overcome those definitions, allowing them to tell their own stories and change the narrative of their lives.”
For this year’s theme, that’s why they chose the hashtag #MoreThanMyBrainInjury.