Concussions are very common in both adults and children, especially those who participate in sports such as soccer and boxing. In fact, players may continue to play without realizing that they have a brain injury that requires medical attention.
To be honest, a a number of complications may occur immediately or immediately after a traumatic brain injury. According to some experts, some cases of severe brain injury increase the patient’s risk of complications in the future, which may include recurring symptoms and a large number of other brain-related complications.
Some of the complications that arise from repeated brain injuries include:
Coma
Unfortunately, some concussion patients end up in a coma due to the severity of the injury symptoms. Basically, a person in a coma is unconscious and unaware of their surroundings. Such conditions may have a serious impact on the patient’s brain function.
Fortunately, after receiving proper medical care for several weeks, the patient was able to emerge from a coma into a vegetative state.
Fluid buildup
People with a concussion tend to experience swelling in the head and other parts of the body. Such swelling is caused by cerebrospinal fluid accumulating in the brain. The pressure from this fluid causes brain swelling.
Infection
A traumatic brain injury it can cause the skull to crack and damage the protective tissue that surrounds the brain. With such fractures, it is easier for bacteria to enter the brain and cause serious infections.
If the situation worsens, some serious infections such as meningitis can spread to the nervous system if left untreated.
Damaged blood vessels
The brain consists of small and large blood vessels. Therefore, impact to the brain can damage these blood vessels resulting in bleeding in the brain, blood clots, and/or stroke.
Damaged nerves
Fractures at the base of the skull can damage the cranial nerves in the brain. When the cranial nerves are damaged, facial muscle paralysis, loss of vision, difficulty swallowing, loss of facial sensation and double vision can occur.
Communication problem
Communication problems are usually associated with brain injury. Examples of cognitive communication problems that may arise include difficulty speaking or writing, difficulty understanding speech, inability to organize thoughts and ideas, and difficulty following conversations.
On the other hand, some social communication problems that may arise include difficulty expressing emotions, difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues, difficulty taking turns, and an inability to start or stop a conversation among other problems.
Serious illness
Repeated brain injuries are said to damage brain cells. This causes a gradual loss of brain function and also causes serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and dementia pugilistica.
- Alzheimer’s disease – This is a disease that affects the brain and mainly causes gradual loss of memory and other intellectual skills.
- Parkinson’s disease – This is a progressive condition causing movement problems with stiffness, tremors, and slow movements being the most common.
- Dementia pugilistica — This disease is most commonly associated with multiple blows to the head. Most patients who have this condition are professional boxers. Unfortunately, this condition also causes symptoms of dementia and movement problems
Randall Fisher is a brain injury specialist in a recognized institution. He recovered from a traumatic brain injury 2 years ago. To find out more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of TBI.
