Brain injuries result from bumps, blows or jolts to the head. The symptoms of brain injuries can range from a brief change in mental state to an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia. Regardless of the severity of the injury, all brain injuries are serious.
In the United States, brain injuries are a grim public health threat. Every year, there are 1.7 million people who suffer from brain injuries. The most common cause of brain injury is falls, which tend to happen more with children under the age of 14 or with adults older than 65 years of age. Following falls, motor vehicle accidents are the second leading cause of brain injury.
In 2011, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported that there were 6,690 non-fatal inpatient hospitalizations due to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). These injuries can cause cognitive deficits, which can affect one’s ability to return to work or school, perform daily activities such as managing personal finances and driving a vehicle and may lead to depression. In 2014, Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital provided therapeutic interventions for 52 people who sustained some type of TBI.
Brain injuries don’t discriminate. But, thankfully, there are some precautions we can all take to prevent them. For example:
- Always buckle up in a car – wear your seatbelt. Every time.
- Make sure you buckle your child properly in a car. Use the right child safety seat, booster or seat belt based upon your child’s age and weight.
- Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Shut your cell phone off while in the car. Don’t talk. Don’t text. Distracted driving causes wrecks.
- Wear a helmet. And, make sure your children wear helmets with appropriate activities. This could include: various sports, bike riding, skateboarding, skating, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, sledding or any other activity where a head injury is more likely to occur.
- Help make living areas safer for older adults. Remove tripping hazards like throw rugs or clutter in hallways. Use non-slip mats in the bathroom and grab bars near the shower or toilet. Install handrails for all stairways (indoor and outdoor). Improve lighting throughout the home.
- Help make living areas safer for smaller children by using window guards and installing safety gates around stairways. Keep doors closed and locked that lead to stairs. Set up outside play areas on shock-absorbing material like sand or mulch.
As you can see, these precautions don’t take epic effort. With a little foresight and planning…and some common sense…we all can we can lessen our chance for head injuries.
By Daryl Williams
Daryl Williams is director of marketing for Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, a 40-bed, free-standing facility providing intensive physical rehabilitation services to patients recovering from strokes, head and spinal cord injuries, and other impairments as a result of injury or illness. For more information, visit MVRRH.ernesthealth.com
3700 N. Windsong Drive • Prescott Valley, AZ • (P) 928-759-8800 (F) 866-759-8806 • www.MVRRH.ernesthealth.com