Brain Injury

What is a brain injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) might occur after a blow to the head or violent back-and-forth head movements where your brain hits the inside of your skull. The damage brain injuries cause varies from mild to life-threatening, depending on the impact’s severity.

The most common injury is a concussion, a mild trauma often occurring when playing sports or after a fall. Severe trauma could involve a skull fracture and serious injuries like:

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

Las Vegas Neurology Center specializes in assessing and treating all types of brain injury.

What symptoms might I experience after a brain injury?

Loss of consciousness can happen after a brain injury, even a concussion, although it might only last seconds or minutes. More severe brain injuries could cause you to pass out for hours or even result in a coma (prolonged loss of consciousness). Other brain injury symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Difficulty focusing
• Memory loss
• Seizures
• Slurred speech
• Problems sleeping

Your brain could swell after a head injury, which might not be apparent initially. Swelling creates intracranial pressure inside your skull, affecting blood flow and depriving your brain of oxygen. Swelling might also stop other fluids from leaving. Brain cell damage or death can result.

What should I do if I suffer a brain injury?

If you incur a head injury, always go for a neurological evaluation to see if there’s any damage, even if you don’t lose consciousness and have no obvious concussion symptoms.

If you have a concussion, mental and physical rest so your brain has time to heal is the best approach. You probably won’t need any treatment — just monitor your symptoms and visit Las Vegas Neurology Center if anything changes.

A moderate to severe brain injury usually requires hospital observation. You may also need surgery to reduce pressure inside your skull, stop bleeding in your brain, remove a blood clot, or repair a fracture. In addition, you may need medications to reduce the risk of secondary brain injuries or lessen their effects.

Las Vegas Neurology Center monitors you and manages your care after a brain injury. They also arrange rehabilitation if your injury causes loss of mental and/or physical function.

Call the Las Vegas Neurology Center for an expert assessment and timely treatment if you suffer a brain injury. You can also request an appointment online.