Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) that causes bleeding and bruising could threaten your life. If you injure your head, get expert diagnosis and treatment from the Neurology Care team in Waxahachie, Mesquite, and Mansfield, Texas. The practice’s board-certified neurologists are experts in preserving and restoring brain function after trauma. Call Neurology Care today or book an appointment online if you suffer a traumatic brain injury.

What is a traumatic brain injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can happen when you suffer a blow to your head or whiplash (violent back-and-forth motion) that forces your brain to hit the inside of your skull.

The damage a TBI causes depends on the impact’s severity. The most common TBI is a concussion, a typically mild trauma occurring after you hit your head.

Moderate or severe trauma could fracture the skull and cause serious brain injuries, such as:

• Cerebral contusion (bruising)
• Intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain)
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding around the brain)
• Hematoma (bleeding under the skull)
• Hydrocephalus (fluid around the brain)
• Diffuse nerve injuries (torn or stretched nerves in your brain)

A TBI may affect an isolated area or your entire brain. The Neurology Care team excels in assessing and treating TBIs.

What symptoms does a traumatic brain injury cause?

Concussions may not cause loss of consciousness; if they do, it’s usually for seconds or minutes. However, after a moderate or severe TBI, you might be unconscious for six hours or possibly longer.

Other problems traumatic brain injuries cause include:

• Headache
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Seizures
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Difficulty focusing
• Slurred speech
• Problems sleeping

After a TBI, your brain may swell, applying pressure that could cause additional problems unrelated to the original injury.

How is a traumatic brain injury treated?

If you suffer a concussion, mental and physical rest is vital to give your brain time to heal. Besides monitoring your symptoms to ensure nothing worsens, you probably won’t require any treatment.

A moderate to severe TBI requires hospitalization for observation and possibly surgery. You may need a procedure to stop bleeding in your brain, remove a blood clot, reduce pressure inside your skull, or repair a fracture. Following a TBI, you might need medications to minimize the likelihood of incurring secondary brain injuries or reduce their effects.

Continuous brain monitoring is essential to identify potentially dangerous complications that could occur after a trauma. Contusions (bruises) and hematomas (blood pockets) may develop or enlarge after the injury and require prompt surgery.

The Neurology Care team continues to monitor your brain health and manage your care after you leave the hospital. They also coordinate rehabilitation, which you might need if your TBI causes loss of function.

To benefit from expert treatment following a traumatic brain injury, call Neurology Care today or book an appointment online.