Brain Injury: Understanding America’s Invisible Epidemic
To mark Brain Injury Awareness Month, this guide highlights some of the troubling facts and statistics around traumatic brain injury, and through a series of short videos, explains what living with a traumatic brain injury can be like for individuals, their families, and loved ones. Please take the time to read this guide, and watch the videos to learn more about this serious and urgent health emergency that impacts the lives of millions of Americans every single day.
The clock is ticking.
Brain Injury: Quick Facts
And according to the CDC, 166 Americans died from a TBI related injury each day in 2019.
The current figure is likely to be much higher.
This is around 4x the capacity of the SoFi stadium.
What are the leading causes of traumatic brain injury in the USA?
What's it like to live with a traumatic brain injury?
Some of the most common symptoms of brain injury include:
- Chronic low-grade headaches
- Having trouble remembering, concentrating, and solving problems
- Difficulty with reading and/or writing
- Vision changes or hallucinations
- Changes in sexual drive or function
- Mood changes; feelings of sadness, irritability, anxiety
- Slurred speech or loss of ability to speak
- Poor control of voluntary movements
- Difficulty recognizing faces and visually locating objects
- Unusually aggressive behavior
- Difficulty with hand-eye coordination, impaired spatial orientation
- Impaired gross and fine motor coordination
- Tremors, dizziness, and nausea
But many of these symptoms may not be obvious to an outside observer, which is why brain injury is often referred to as "the invisible injury".
Individuals with a brain injury can find it difficult to express how they are feeling, or even to effectively communicate that they have a brain injury. This can lead to issues with authorities, and may lead to frustration, anger, and even violence.
What's it like to live with a spouse or partner with traumatic brain injury?
When an individual suffers brain damage, it's not just their own life that is turned upside down.
Spouses, family members, and loved ones, can suddenly be thrust into new roles as part-time, or even full-time caregivers, and behavioral changes in the individual who suffered the injury can make it seem like they are living with a different person.
Possible Consequences of brain injury for spouses and significant others can include:
- Isolation
- Clinical Depression
- Divorce
- Substance abuse
- Domestic violence
- Neglected healthcare
And new, or elevated responsibilities can include:
- Household Responsibility
- Parenting Responsibility
- Income Responsibility
- Decision Making
- Caring for The Injured Spouse
Caring for a child with traumatic brain injury
62,000 children are hospitalized each year with a serious TBI.
And while the symptoms experienced by children who have sustained a traumatic or acquired brain injury are similar to adults, the functional impact upon the child and his or her family is significantly different.
These injuries affect the entire trajectory of a child’s life and change the family dynamic. While children are growing and learning, the cognitive impairments may not immediately be recognized because their brains are still developing.
As the child ages, and relies on more complex intellectual skills, these deficits may become apparent. These impairments interfere with the ability to learn new information and function at a higher, more independent level. A child’s brain injury will affect his/her ability to be successful in school, obtain or retain a job, and adapt to the increased demands of adult life.
Concussion in sports
Football, and other contact sports are leading causes of concussions and brain injuries in the United States, particularly among youths and young adults.
Indeed, a 2018 study found that each season, 1 in 20 youth football players in America sustains a football-related concussion.
And, according to the CDC, in 2019, about 15% of all U.S. high-school students self-reported one or more sports or recreation-related concussions within the preceding 12 months.
While there have been proposals to ban or limit tackling in youth football in several states, these efforts have been frustrated and rejected by politicians.
There are currently only 6 states with active, or enacted proposals to limit tackling in youth football.
TBI in homeless population
The same study revealed that homeless individuals have around a 1 in 4 chance of sustaining a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury during their lifetime.
According to endhomelessness.org in January 2020, there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness in America.
Watch: Find out more about TBI in the homeless population in this episode of Brain Injury Insider.
TBI in the prison population
16% of respondents had experienced moderate-to-severe TBI, and 48% had experienced mild TBI.
The CDC's estimates 25-87% of inmates have experienced a head injury or TBI. There is no doubt that the prevalence of brain damage within the prison population is much higher than in the general population.
Indeed, another study revealed that people with a TBI were 2.5 times more likely to be incarcerated. According to The Brain Injury Association of America "This may be because TBI can affect one’s ability to predict the consequences of his or her actions and can make it difficult to control emotions."
Watch: Find out more about TBI in the prison population in this episode of Brain Injury Insider.
TBI in veterans
It is estimated that 22% of all combat casualties are brain injuries, compared to 12% of Vietnam related combat casualties.
Between 60% and 80% of soldiers who have experienced other blast injuries may also have a TBI.
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) reported nearly 414,000 TBIs among U.S. service members worldwide between 2000 and late 2019.
Watch: Find out more about the prevalence of TBI amongst Veterans in this episode of Brain Injury Insider.
Covid-19 and Brain Damage
Evidence continues to mount that individuals with Covid-19, even in its mildest form, may experience chronic neurological effects and complications which resemble the signs and symptoms of other types of brain injury and brain damage.
The long-term consequences of Covid-19 are called “long-Covid”
Some of the frequent long-term neurological effects of long-Covid are:
- Cognitive Fatigue
- Memory impairment
- Difficulty concentrating
- Impaired ability to multi-task
- Loss of smell and taste
- Vestibular problems
- Sleep Disturbance
- Depression and anxiety
Domestic violence and brain injury
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one 1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence. Other research estimates that approximately 90 percent of individuals with a history of domestic violence have signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury.
These statistics translate into the startling realization that the number of women who have experienced TBI secondary to domestic violence is almost 11–12 times greater than the number of traumatic brain injuries experienced by military personnel and athletes.
What causes traumatic brain injury in domestic violence victims?
Injuries typically occur when the victim is punched, shaken or shoved. It can also occur when their head is struck by an object, or when their head is slammed onto a surface
And the deprivation of oxygen to the brain, known as hypoxia which takes place because of strangulation or when the head is pushed into the bed causing breathing difficulties causing brain damage. The brain used up to 25 % of the oxygen we take in. It is the fuel for the brain. When the brain is deprived of oxygen, brain cells die, and brain damage occurs. The victim need not lose consciousness for the brain damage to occur. When you have decreased blood flow to the brain, brain injury can take place.
What steps are needed to diagnose traumatic brain injury in domestic violence victims?
All survivors of domestic violence must be screened for various forms of physical abuse that could lead to brain injury. Police and domestic violence shelters must be mandated to conduct proper screening. Once identified, the victim, should be seen by a qualified medical provider for further evaluation.
Support for brain injury survivors
Each year in March, the BIAA leads the nation in observing Brain Injury Awareness Month. The theme for this year's campaign is "More than my brain injury".
Find out more about Brain Injury Awareness month here, or click here to support The Brain Injury Association of America.
Click here to find out more.