What are Brain Injuries and How Frequently do They Occur?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur when an external pressure is put on the head and the brain is consequently damaged. While the force does not necessarily need to pierce the skin or skull, if it does then a brain injury may be more likely to occur. Traumatic brain injuries can result in the temporary dysfunction or complete loss of brain cells as well as bleeding, bruising, tissue damage and even death. The exact definition of TBI has never been consistently used and normally depends on the situation. Frequently, TBI is used synonymously with concussion or head injury but these are not necessarily the same thing. They can manifest different symptoms and imply different consequences; therefore, it is important to identify what specific condition you have in consultation with your personal physician.

Here are some quick facts about them:

• Over one and a half million people sustain traumatic brain injuries every year.
• A quarter of a million people are hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries every year.
• Approximately 50,000 people die every year from traumatic brain injuries.
• About 3 in 4 traumatic brain injuries are also classified as concussions.
• The total cost of traumatic brain injuries on the United States economy is more than $50 billion.
• Those most likely to receive a traumatic brain injury fall in the following age ranges: 0-4; 15-19; 65 and up.
• Half of a million ER visits for traumatic brain injuries are for children under 14.
• People over the age of 75 have the highest rate of traumatic brain injuries.

A concussion is an injury to the head where the brain loses function for a period of time. Subsequently, the injured person then experiences some kind of mental, bodily, or other symptoms. Concussions are often called traumatic brain injuries or just a head injury. However, traumatic brain injuries tend to cause damage to the brain but that is not presumed in a concussion. Therefore, you should meet with a doctor to see how exactly you were hurt, how it should be defined, and what consequences that will have on your health and rehabilitation.