Acquired Brain Injury
Overview
Acquired brain injury may occur through the sudden onset of trauma, infection, lack of oxygen, strokes, and drug use episodes, or through prolonged alcohol or substance abuse, and tumours or degenerative neurological diseases. Two thirds of all people with this disease are over the age of 45. One third of those are over the age of 65, and the largest age group is between 40 and 49. The disease is higher in men than women. Acquired brain injury is any damage to the brain affecting a person physically, emotionally or behaviorally. It can happen at birth or later, from an illness or trauma, and can be called traumatic or nontraumatic, depending on the specific cause.
There could be many possible causes of it including road accidents, assaults, falls and accidents at home or at work, stroke, brain tumor, haemorrhage, or viral infection such as meningitis.
Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of brain trauma caused by an injury are extreme drowsiness, distraction, impaired memory, depression, faulty judgement, and slackened reasoning. Possible physical and cognitive symptoms that arise from damage to some areas of the brain are:
Loss of simple movement of various body parts
Problems with reading and directions
Problems in vision and difficulty in recognizing faces
Problems with balance and movement; sleep difficulties
Loss of ability to walk, tremors, and dizziness
Causes
Some of the most probable causes of this disease include:
Stroke
Trauma
Anoxia
Tumour
Infection
Surgery
Diagnosis
the following neurological tests are used to detect the presence of this disease:
...
CT (Computed Tomography) scan
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan
Combined MRI and PET
Lumbar puncture
Treatments
Rehabilitation
Treatment of the patient with a brain injury begins during the acute phase. A more extensive rehabilitation program often begins, when the patient’s condition improves.The success of rehabilitation depends on many variables, including nature and severity of the brain injury, type and degree of resulting disabilities, overall health of the patient, and family support
Medications
The list of medications required for the treatment are: diuretics, anti-seizure drugs, and coma-inducing drugs. These are going to be extremely helpful in treating your condition.
Surgery
The means of surgery might be used to address skull fractures, and removing the clotted blood.
Prevention
To prevent the occurrence of this disease, one should take care of:
Cutting the alcohol and drug use
Using airbags and seat belts
Using helmets while driving
