There are approximately 700,000 Australians living with brain damage. This type of injury can happen at any time after birth and is often caused by an accident or some other sort of trauma. However, brain injuries can also be caused by drug or alcohol abuse, infection, and by strokes. It can even be a result of diseases, such as Parkinson’s.
One thing is certain, it can happen to anyone and it will affect your ability to live life as you currently do. The level of injury will dictate how badly it affects your everyday functions.
It’s essential to get help when dealing with a brain injury. The first step is to speak with a competent neurosurgeon. They can evaluate the issue and prescribe the best treatment options. It’s different in every case, just as recovery rates vary.
While everyone is aware that a brain injury can impair your ability to think clearly, it’s important to be aware of the common physical symptoms of brain injury. Knowing these can help you get the treatment you need.
Head Bump
As brain injuries are often the result of trauma it is likely that you’ll have experienced a bump to your head. If this has occurred you are likely to be monitored for concussion, which occurs when your brain moves rapidly inside your head, often coming into contact with the skull.
Mild concussions heal themselves, but more traumatic injuries can result in damage to your skull and pressure, resulting in a bump on your head. This needs to be monitored as it can be a sign of brain injury, especially if it doesn’t start to go down within a day or two.
Inability To Dress Yourself
Dressing yourself is something you’ve probably done since you were a few years old. However, if you have suffered a brain injury it can impair your coordination or memory.
This can make it difficult or even impossible to do basic tasks, such as dressing yourself or brushing your teeth.
Communication Issues
Brain injuries tend to cause damage to the speaking parts of the brain. That means you’ll either forget words or be unable to form the words. This is especially frustrating as you may think you are speaking normally but your brain signals aren’t getting to your mouth properly.
Forgetting common objects is a clear sign of a brain injury.
Headaches
It’s not surprising that, if you damage your brain, you’re going to get headaches. But, it is important to note. Being aware of this symptom can help you to get prompt medical care and diagnosis.
Spasms
If you have suffered from a brain injury then the signals from your brain to the rest of the body will be confused or even missing. This results in a variety of physical issues, including tremors, muscle spasms, dizziness, fatigue, and even an inability to balance properly.
You can also experience double vision or a reduced ability to see things in the distance. Unfortunately, the loss of muscle control can also cause you to lose control of your bowels and you are likely to find it difficult to sleep.
