Learn about Brain Injury
Brain injuries in our community.
What is a brain injury? How much do you know about brain injury? How can we work together to help brain injury survivors?
Brain injury is…
“A [brain injury] is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a [brain injury]. The severity of such an injury may range from “mild,” that is, a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” that is, an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A [brain injury] can result in short or long-term problems with an individual’s ability to function independently, or changes that affect thinking, memory, sensation, language, and emotions.” (Center for Disease Control, 2006).
Like a computer, the brain is like the hard drive...if there is damage to the hard drive it affects the rest of the computer.
Risk Factors
- Male
- Substance Abuse
- Ages 18-25
- Pre-injury Habits
- Peer Pressure Towards Risky Behavior
Causes
- Accidents
- Falls
- Head Trauma
- Whiplash
- Near Drowning
- Hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain)
- Tumours
- Infection
- Substance Abuse
- Choking
- Head Surgery
Types
- Concussion
- Hematoma (Bruising on the brain)
- Hemmorage (Bleeding on the brain)
- Contusions (Bruising by forceful impact)
- Coma
- Aneurysm (Weak spot in the brain)
Imagine your brain like a puzzle, if you are missing a piece of your brain it will never be quite the same.
Prevalence
In Canada each year there are around 18,000 people admitted to hospitals with brain injuries. In Nova Scotia there were 362 brain injuries in 2005, totaling 53% of all major traumas in the province.
Risks Following a Brain Injury
- Seizures
- Changes in Behaviour
- Exploitation or Manipulation of Survivor
- Substance Abuse
- Legal Issues
- Difficulty Understanding or Performing Tasks
- Another Head Trauma
Myths
Brain injured survivors do not remember their past or their family members but remain normal in every other way. Once someone has incurred a brain injury another is not likely. How quickly one recovers from a brain injury is how hard they work on recovering.
The Recovery Process
- Once someone has a brain injury there is a long road to recovery.
- Each individual is affected and recovers differently as no two brain injuries are the same.
- Unlike a broken bone, a brain injury will have lasting affects.
- In order to have the best recovery possible everyone must work together to support and encourage the brain injury survivor.
The process of rehabilitation for brain injury survivors is like building a tower of blocks. Each block provides stability and everyone must work together one block at a time.
This information is brought to you by research development of nursing students for MINDS. (Moving In New Directions Society: a continuum of services for brain injury survivors.) Balancing Independence and Support
The mission of MINDS is to develop and provide a continuum of opportunities for individuals with brain injury, in order to attain a personal level of achievement and excellence in life as contributing members of the community.