A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control stated that children age 4 and younger, teens from 15 to 19, and people over 75 all face higher risk of traumatic brain injury, a CNN Medical article reported. The report added that falling is the major cause of TBI in elderly and car accidents are the major cause of TBI in teens. Young children have less of a sense of balance and so are at risk of hitting their heads on corners, edges, and hard objects, the article noted.
Since the symptoms of TBI can be difficult to identify, parents are cautioned to take extra precautions to prevent head trauma and to seek medical attention immediately if a head injury takes place. The article continued, ‘Speed is essential when treating traumatic brain injury. Most neurologists agree that there’s a 60- to 90-minute window from the time the injury was suffered to the point where treatment must begin.’ This is especially important in young children who have not yet developed the capacity to report changes in their mental state to parents.
Parents are further cautioned to pay close attention to their children’s behavior after any kind of trauma to the head. Some things to look out for are ‘sudden drowsiness or inability to be alert, difficulty recognizing familiar people or places, sudden whining or irritability, loss of interest in favorite toys, numbness of one side of the body, vomiting, or neck pain,’ the CNN Medical article reported.
By taking precautions to prevent brain injuries, and taking swift action when a head trauma occurs, TBI can be a treatable condition from which sufferers can recover fully. When left untreated even for a couple hours, TBI can lead to severe long-term difficulties and even death in many cases. Many new treatments are being explored all the time. The chances of a full recovery are better the sooner a head injury victim receives professional care.
References:
Hagan, Caitlin. (March 26, 2010) ‘Young kids at high risk for traumatic brain injury.’ Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the CNN Medical Web site:http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/26/young-kids-at-high-risk-fo…
Medalie, Melissa. (April 2, 2010) ‘Medical Minute 4-2: Saving Brains. Saving Lives.’ Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the WCTV Web site:http://www.wctv.tv/medicalminute/headlines/89798497.html
Stein, Roxanne. (April 1, 2010) ‘Saving Brains, Saving Lives.’ Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the WPTV Web site: http://www.wptv.com/content/health/mb/story/Saving-brains/BJZiFvNsr0S4jI…