Every day in the state of Illinois, people are injured. While some of these injuries are minor, others are much more severe. This is certainly the case with traumatic brain injuries. When they occur, they can have a stark and permanent effect on a person’s quality of life. Not even college students are immune to this danger.
Causes of traumatic brain injuries
Unfortunately, nearly everyone is at risk of falling victim to a traumatic brain injury. However, those who are more physically active may even be at more risk. This is certainly true of college-age students. Some of the more common causes of such injuries include serious bumps, falls, or blows to the head. People who play sports such as football are certainly more at risk than the general population of experiencing a brain injury.
Signs of a traumatic brain injury
One of the scariest things about a traumatic brain injury is the fact that it may not be immediately apparent that a person has suffered from one. Instead, one must look out for the telltale signs that a serious brain injury has occurred. These symptoms include:
- headaches
- vomiting
- fatigue
- speech issues
- dizziness
- blurred vision
- ringing ears
- depression and mood swings
- change in sleep cycles
- confusion and lack of concentration
- slurred speech
Dangers of traumatic brain injuries
Sadly, traumatic brain injuries can have serious and long-lasting consequences. They can cause memory loss and problems communicating or concentrating. Worse of all, it can eventually result in death from things such as:
- seizures
- pneumonia
- drug overdoses
- infections
- brain swelling
- bleeding of the brain
Even if a person manages to survive the injury for the long term, their quality of life is like to be greatly diminished. The brain is obviously the most important organ in the human body. Any brain injury, even a minor one, can have disastrous consequences for a person’s long term well-being.