Debunking 5 common myths about traumatic brain injuries

On Behalf of Holmes & Wiseley, P.C.

Trauma changes you. Whether it be for better or worse is largely dependent on your acceptance of your new reality.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) alters your brain’s functions due to an external force. It may either be the open kind, where an object penetrates the skull, or nonpenetrating, wherein the violent force is strong enough to move the brain inside the skull. Its symptoms differ depending on the severity of your condition. You may immediately experience dizziness, vomiting or disorientation for a mild head injury or concussion. In severe cases, seizures, worsening headaches and even paralysis or coma may be possible.

Learning to accurately address your catastrophic injuries if you figure in an accident may save you from unnecessary panic and emotional distress.

TBI misconceptions

According to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, 58,500 victims sustain traumatic brain injury annually. But with ever-evolving scientific approaches, it will help to know about the truth behind the following myths:

• Only athletes suffer from concussions: You are living proof that concussions may also result from a range of accidents, like those related to explosions or blasts, commercial trucks and motor vehicles. In fact, car collisions cause 30% of traumatic brain injuries in Michigan.
• Having a concussion means losing consciousness: Although there have been contentions on this topic, the medical and mental health communities seem to agree that a victim doesn’t have to lose consciousness to have a TBI diagnosis. In the same way, an individual losing consciousness isn’t necessarily a TBI victim.
• Tests or scans clearly detect TBI: Having clear MRI or CT scans, which evaluate the brain’s structure, doesn’t automatically rule out a TBI. Instead, upon your physician’s instructions, you might also undergo further tests that look at changes in your brain’s function.
• If you look fine after the impact, then you’re fine: If you are conscious and mobile after the incident, you probably think you don’t need to seek medical attention. However, TBI symptoms may be too subtle for you to recognize. Feeling “off”, even the slightest hint, must be enough reason for you to have yourself checked.
• Every victim has the same recovery rate: Every individual responds to treatment and rehabilitation differently. Some may completely heal in a matter of days, while others take years due to varying setbacks.

Depending on the intensity of your TBI, rest periods are crucial to your recovery. If your doctor-approved recovery plan says so, then light and controlled physical activity may also follow. In the most severe cases, a multidisciplinary team of health professionals may be on board to guide you toward healing.

Breaking through barriers

The wounds you wear serve as a significant reminder of your survival, which hinges on embracing your limitations alongside your strengths. The road to recovery begins when you accept all the help you can get. Aside from a medical team providing you with long-term rehabilitative care, a legal team can also ensure you have financial resources for your medical expenses and other losses by seeking compensation from all liable parties.

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