News
Help with the Mild Brain Injury Puzzle
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) has become a more familiar term as we hear about returning soldiers with mTBI sustained in IED attacks, a growing concern about concussive injuries among athletes at all levels and an increased understanding of the long-term pervasive features of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. It is important to remember that approximately 80% of all brain injuries fall into the “mild” category. In many cases the symptoms are not detected until months or years past the injury and often the symptoms are thought to be a manifestation of a psychiatric or substance problem.
The Ontario NeuroTrauma Foundation (ONF.org) has developed an evidence-based guide for the identification and management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. We posted the ONF mTBI on this website, traumaticbraininjury.net in the Resources category. The Guide is a comprehensive manual which covers many aspects related to occurrence, identification and diagnosis and the systemic effects of mTBI and prevention strategies for athletes.
In November and December of 2010 we devoted our Professional Seminar events to the viewing of an excellent video training program: The Silent Epidemic, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Identification and Diagnosis and Management of mTBI. The videos featured the leading experts and offered sound information for clinicians to learn how to identify suspected mTBI in their patients. The production was created by Linda Gillett, PhD of the New Mexico Aging and Long Term Services Department. Funding was made available for this video through a HRSA grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
I am pleased to see the development of resources and tools to assist in the identification of mTBI. We have come a long way in our understanding of the effects and needed treatment for mTBI, but we also have a long way to go to create the needed resources.
I have a few questions regarding mTBI. Scenerio first- I fell from my bike slamming my head to the road some 20 years ago (now I where my helmet). I had a laceration, bruizing that went down my neck to the shoulder area, and dizziness/nausea for a couple of days. This injury incurred to the top right of head. 10 years ago I took a close range hit to the eye on the same side. I was out of work for a week and a half or so being the doctor said my depth perception was off and my pupil being larger than normal. Today, I have had headaches (severe-lasting 1-3 days) on my right side-same side both injuries occured. I get pain to the top of the shoulder or to the top right of head and these are usually the beginning stages of the headaches. The pain will get worse and can be severe ranging from the shoulder to the back of my right eye to the top of my head. My sinuses get stuffed on the right side, and temporal area gets sore also. They often come the day before my period, and other times. There has been a few times where I have vomitted and nausea happens more often. Is it possible to have these symptoms this far down the road from these injuries? My instincts tell me there is some healing trying to go on in this area from these old injuries. I am just starting the research on mTBI and other possibilities. Can you direct me in a few areas. Thank you- looking for a headache free life.