Protecting Yourself From Brain Injury
63The 4 most common ways to receive a brain injury are:
1. Falling – 28 %
2. Motor vehicle accidents – 20%
3. Struck or colliding with an object – 19%
4. Physical assault – 11%
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Every year in the United States, a traumatic brain injury causes 50,000 people to die, 235,000 to be hospitalized, and 1.1 million to be treated and released, sometimes with lifelong disability. (source: cdc.gov)
A traumatic brain injury is caused by a sudden blow to the head that disrupts the function of the brain. It can be a mild form that causes a brief change in mental status, or can be severe, changing mental status for life. The 4 most common ways to receive a brain injury are:
1. Falling – 28 percent - Most falls occur in children under the age of 4, and in adults over the age of 75.
2. Motor vehicle accidents – 20 percent - Most hospitalizations with brain injury occur as a result of a car crash.
3. Struck by or colliding with an object – 19 percent - Most of these types of brain injuries occur in sports or recreation related events.
4. Physical assault – 11 percent - Firearms are the leading cause of deaths in people suffering brain injury. This is also a growing category due to blasts occurring against active duty military personnel in war zones.
In most cases, brain injuries are the result of an accident. They aren’t planned, and there is little you can do to prevent them from taking place. But there are ways to help lower the risk of them occurring at all.
The most at-risk group for a possible brain injury that leads to hospitalization, and ultimately death, is the senior population.
As a person ages, their visual perception, depth perception and balance decreases. These changes put a senior at a higher risk of falling.
You can make a senior’s living areas safer by doing the following:- Keep hallways and walkways clear of clutter
- Remove throw rugs and loose carpeting
- Install no-slip bath mats in the bathtubs and the shower
- Place commonly used items within reach
- Install handrails in the bathroom, on both sides of the stairway, and in any area where a senior may need stability
- Add extra lighting in dark areas
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that every senior get regular, moderate physical activity to reduce the chances of falling. An active body improves mobility and balance, and will ultimately improve the quality of life.
Some ideas for activities include:
- Walking
- Gentle stretching exercises
- Climbing stairs
- Weight training
- Hiking
- Dancing
- Tai Chi
- Bicycling
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Gardening
Once a brain injury has occurred, a person may have to relearn even the simplest of daily activities. A person with a brain injury can find themselves with a variety of complications effecting their thinking process, sensations, language skills, and emotional processing.
The Brain Injury Association of America has a dynamic bookstore filled with information on living with a brain injury.
Scott Gottlieb 6 months ago
Great information.
No one should ever have to suffer from traumatic brain injuries. Knowing ways to prevent these types of accidents can literally save lives.