March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 5 million Americans live with long-term disability related to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here are four things to know about TBI.

A blow or injury to the head can cause TBI.

TBI may occur after your head strikes an object or when an object goes through your skull and damages your brain. Many TBIs occur during motor vehicle accidents. Falls, firearms, explosions and assaults are other major causes.

After a TBI, nerve cells in the brain may be damaged. The neurons may have trouble doing their job of carrying signals to different parts of the brain. If you have a brain injury, you could have trouble thinking or moving normally. Your brain may also have trouble keeping your body working properly.

TBI can cause many symptoms, depending on its severity and which parts of the brain it affects.

Symptoms can range from headache, dizziness or trouble thinking to nausea, vomiting, seizures or loss of consciousness.

Call your healthcare provider right away or go to the emergency room if you have any type of severe head injury or if you lose consciousness after a blow to the head.

You should also seek help right away even after a mild head injury if you have any of these symptoms: Headache that gets worse and does not go away; weakness, numbness or decreased coordination; nausea or vomiting; slurred speech; confusion; convulsions or seizures; drowsiness; or fluid dripping from the nose or ear.

Follow general safety precautions to help protect yourself and others from TBI.

Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, for example, or even when you are too tired. Always wear a seatbelt while in a vehicle and make sure the vehicle’s airbags are in working order. Buckle your child into the appropriate safety seat every time the child rides in a vehicle.

Wear a helmet during contact sports, when riding skates or a skateboard or while batting during baseball and softball. Also wear a helmet while on a bicycle, motorcycle or horse.

Take precautions to prevent falls around your home, and never work on a ladder if you feel dizzy or lightheaded. Keep guns unloaded and locked away. Have your vision checked at least once per year because poor vision can increase your risk for falls or other types of accidents.

Never shake a baby, and use safety gates and window guards to keep children safe from falling out of windows or down stairs.

People with severe injuries may have a long recovery period. Even with mild head injuries, it’s important to adjust your daily activities so you have time to recover.

Follow your healthcare provider’s guidelines for recovery. Take extra care not to do anything that could put you at risk for another head injury. Get plenty of rest as you are recovering. Don’t drive a car or bike or take part in sports or other physical activities until your healthcare provider says it’s safe.

Use memory aids such as notes, a whiteboard, alarm clocks, calendars and your mobile phone to help you remember important events or activities. Evaluate and adapt job or school tasks based on the level of disability you are experiencing with your injury. And get support through a local group.

For more complete information on preventing, diagnosing, treating and living with TBI, visit the Traumatic Brain Injury page in our health library.

Source: The StayWell Company, LLC