Honoring Brain Injury Awareness Month

Every year organizations and people raise awareness surrounding brain injuries in the month of March by sharing facts, stories, and educational opportunities. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) recognizes Brain Injury Awareness Month with #MoreThanMyBrainInjury. They aim to recognize individuals living with an injury related to a brain trauma.

The BIAA shared that nearly 3.6 million people suffer from a traumatic brain injury each year. You can read more from this Fact Sheet shared by them.

Knowing this, falls are identified as the most common causes of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), also known as concussions.

“The older we get, the more difficult it is to recover from a concussion”, says one of our local physicians.

As a caregiver or senior, it is important to know and look for signs related to a concussion. And as an older adult, you should seek immediate medical attention if there is a quick change in cognitive or physical abilities following a fall and suspected head injury.

Here are some signs of a mTBI/concussion as shared by a physical therapist:

• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Nausea
• Sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision
• Repetitive or slurred speech

One fall can ruin it all.

So, what is the best way to treat a fall?

Prevention.

Talking with a professional who can assess an individual’s level of risk for fall related injuries can help develop plans to:

• Improve balance
• Increase strength and mobility
• Add needed fall prevention strategies to minimize risk of associated injuries like concussions, broken bones, etc.

Brain traumas are an invisible injury. It is important to educate on signs and symptoms, especially in the senior population. If you have questions related to home care and fall prevention strategies don’t hesitate to reach out for more information or resources here.