By Mary Simonson 

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone.  
Each year TBI contributes to a substantial number of deaths and permanent disabilities.  Recent U.S. statistics show that approximately 1.4 million people sustain a TBI each year. Of these 50,000 die and 235,000 are hospitalized and 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $56.3 billion per year. North Dakota’s statistics mirror those of the United States.  However, the number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown, yet they too, live with the effects of a brain injury.  
 The definition of a TBI is 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 TBI.  The severity of the TBI may range from “mild” (a brief change in the mental status or consciousness) to “severe”(an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury.)
The leading causes of TBI are: falls (28%), motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%), struck by or against an item (19%) and assaults (11%).  Males are about 1.5 times as likely as females to sustain a TBI with the two age groups at highest risk for TBI are zero to 4 years of age and 15 to 19 years olds.  Certain military duties increase the risk of sustaining a TBI.
The long-term consequences of TBI often present a wide range of challenges. Thinking in the realms of memory and reasoning are often affected, causing difficulty with understanding consequences of actions, keeping appointments, understanding a conflicting view point, etc. Sensory areas such as touch, taste and smell may be altered by a TBI so that food becomes too important or not of interest, has a horrible smell or is too enticing.
Language abilities may change resulting in communication and comprehension problems with the written and spoken word as well as inability to correctly interpret or express emotions.  A person sustaining a TBI will often experience depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out and social or sexual inappropriateness.  People who receive a brain injury often develop epilepsy and have increased risk factors for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.
The old adage that prevention is worth a pound of cure is certainly true with a brain injury because there is no cure.  So the emphasis needs to be placed on avoiding the injury.  Because motor vehicles are often a factor in a brain injury, it is important to wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a vehicle. Child safety should be adhered to and modeling for the child is important.  
Helmet use by all, adult, child or teen is crucial.  Be certain that the helmets are fitted and properly maintained when riding a bike motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter or an all-terrain vehicle. Use of protective head devices is recommended when playing contact sports such as football, ice hockey, lacrosse or boxing as well as other sporting activities such as baseball, horseback riding, skiing, sledding snowboarding, in-line skating and skateboarding.
Brain injury is one of the largest growing disabilities and one of the most costly for rehabilitation.  Awareness, understanding and prevention will help us all to survive, thrive and be alive.
(Information for this article was provided by the National  Center for Injury Prevention and Control.)
YOUR HEALTH column is coordinated by Mercy Hospital of Valley City.