Can You Fully Recover from Traumatic Brain Injury?

Yes, you can fully recover from a traumatic brain injury. However, one’s prognosis will ultimately rest on the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, and the age and health of the individual. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can either be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Each degree can have both long and short-term effects on a victim’s health.

TBIs are often sustained when an individual experiences a forceful blow or jolt to the head, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

A person can suffer a TBI from contact sports, violent crimes, and falls. However, according to the NINDS, the common causes of TBIs come from pedestrian, motorcycle, bicycle, and motor vehicle accidents.

Degrees of TBIs

When thinking about whether you can fully recover from a traumatic brain injury, you must first consider the varying degrees of a TBI. As previously mentioned, it is not only the degree of the injury that determines one’s recovery period but also the injury’s location and the victim’s overall health.

To help you better understand the different degrees of a TBI, below, we offer a brief explanation of each.

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Mild TBIs

A mild TBI, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commonly calls a concussion, may cause symptoms that last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms that an individual might experience after suffering a concussion include:

• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Issues with memory, balance, and coordination
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness
• Blurred vision

Although some concussion patients are able to recover with rest and over-the-counter pain medications, if not properly managed, a concussion can cause permanent brain damage or death, according to the NINDS. Repeated concussions may result in more serious or moderate traumatic brain injury.

Moderate to Severe TBIs

If an individual suffers a moderate to severe TBI, Mayo Clinic explains that they may experience a variety of symptoms, some of which are life-threatening.

The physical symptoms of a TBI may include:

• A loss of consciousness, which can last for several minutes or several hours
• Constant headaches or one that continues to worsen
• Vomiting or nausea
• Convulsions
• Seizures
• Dilation of one or both pupils
• Clear drainage from ears and/or nose
• The inability to wake up from sleep
• Weakness and/or numbness in the fingers and toes
• insufficient coordination

The cognitive or mental symptoms of a TBI may include:

• Extreme confusion
• Agitation
• Unusual behavior
• Slurred speech

An injured person may suffer from impairments not listed here. If you suspect that you or a loved one suffered a TBI, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you are not sure whether you sustained a head or brain injury, always seek a medical evaluation to be safe.

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TBI Symptoms in Children

Young children who may have suffered a TBI may not be able to explain the pain or symptoms they are experiencing.

Instead, Mayo Clinic advises they might show these signs:

• Extreme tiredness
• Changes in eating habits
• Irritability
• Persistent crying
• Changes in sleeping habits
• Seizures
• Signs of being unhappy

Again, if you suspect that a loved one has suffered a TBI, you should seek medical care immediately.

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Assessing the Severity of a TBI

In order for a medical professional to determine the severity of a TBI, medical assessments must be conducted.

During these initial assessments, the NINDS says that professionals will collect and assess information pertaining to:

• The characteristics of the injury
• Whether there is a presence of amnesia or seizures
• Whether physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep-related symptoms exist

Additional tests such as computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, neuropsychological tests, and diagnostic imaging may also be performed. Essentially, whether you can fully recover from a TBI will rest on the facts of your condition and timely assessment. Only a medical professional can provide insight into your circumstances and offer treatment.