Brain Trauma

Sports injuries, falls, and car accidents are the top causes of brain trauma, but many typically harmless and enjoyable activities can lead to an accidental head injury. Even if you have a mild brain trauma, it’s important to see the experts at Coast Neurosurgical Associates. They provide the full range of care, from neurological evaluations and treating mild trauma to performing surgery and providing intensive care for severe brain trauma. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Long Beach, California, or use online booking today.

What is brain trauma?

Brain trauma, also called a traumatic brain injury (TBI), occurs when a direct blow to your head damages your brain or an impact to your body causes a whiplash-type movement that forces your brain to hit the skull.

The extent of your brain trauma depends on the severity of the impact. A concussion is a mild brain trauma, but it still causes nerve damage and affects brain function. 

Moderate and severe TBIs may cause a skull fracture and severe brain injuries, such as:

• Hematoma (bleeding under the skull)
• Cerebral contusion (bruising)
• Intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain)
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding around the brain)
• Hydrocephalus (fluids accumulate around the brain)
• Diffuse nerve injuries (torn or stretched nerves in your brain)

The trauma may involve one area or the entire brain. Your risk of having a stroke is higher after a moderate or severe brain trauma.

What symptoms develop after a brain trauma?

Concussions don’t make you pass out, or if you do, it’s only for a short time. However, you may stay unconscious for between 20 minutes and six hours, or even longer after a moderate or severe TBI.

Brain trauma also causes one or more of the following symptoms:

• Memory loss
• Confusion
• Headache
• Seizures
• Blurry vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty sleeping
• Slurred speech

Brain swelling may occur gradually in the week after your injury. The swelling causes pressure, potentially damaging parts of the brain that weren’t injured during the initial trauma.

How is brain trauma treated?

Rest is the most important treatment after a concussion. Physical and mental rest gives your brain time to heal.

Moderate to severe brain traumas require hospitalization. You may need immediate surgery to:

• Stop bleeding
• Remove a blood clot
• Lower pressure inside the skull
• Repair a skull fracture

After a brain trauma, you also need close observation, medications to minimize secondary brain injuries, and continuous brain monitoring to catch potentially dangerous side effects that occur in the days following the trauma. For example, contusions and hematomas often enlarge in the hours and days after your trauma, requiring prompt surgery.

After you leave the hospital, the Coast Neurosurgical Associates team continues to manage your medical care and monitor your brain health. They also coordinate your rehabilitation.

Recovery from a brain trauma demands skilled, compassionate care from the team at Coast Neurosurgical Associates. Call or book an appointment online today.