Traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, refers to any kind of damage or wound to the head that injures or traumatizes the brain.
The elderly, people over 65 or older, have the second highest incidence of traumatic brain injury. Youth between the ages of 14 and 24 have the highest incidence.
An accidental fall is the most common cause of TBI among older people. In fact, falls can become a vicious cycle of repeated injuries since many of elderly people who fall once will have another fall within six months.
The second most common cause of brain injuries in the elderly are automobile accidents.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury
Any time an older person has a wound to the head, he or she should immediately be assessed for brain injury. Common symptoms include becoming unconscious, being unable to remember the injury or events surrounding it, acting confused, complaining of a headache, feeling dizzy or hearing a ringing in ears.
Anyone who has any of these symptoms should receive immediate medical care.
Subdural Hematoma
Elderly people with head injuries are especially vulnerable to a condition called subdural hematoma, or bleeding into the brain. This condition requires immediate hospitalization and often surgery. Left untreated, a subdural hematoma can lead to permanent damage to a person's learning and thinking abilities.
Some people with subdural hematomas suffer such severe brain damage that they pass away as the result of their injury.
Even older people who eventually recover from their injuries run a slightly higher risk of Alzheimer's disease or of developing a similar type of cognitive deficit.
Better News
The news for high risk older people with traumatic brain injuries is not all bad, however.
Recent studies have suggested that quick medical treatment along with intensive inpatient rehabilitation can help patients regain cognitive function and eventually return to their own homes instead of having to go to an assisted living facility or a nursing facility.
If you have an older loved one, you can help prevent TBI by reducing the risk of falls. Some steps you can take include removing clutter from the floor, removing accent rugs and installing handrails on the stairs or a stairlift as well as safety rails in the bathroom. You might also want to consider signing your loved one up for a personal medical alarm system so that he or she could summon help in the event of a fall. Remember, the more quickly your loved one receives medical attention after a fall, the better his or her chances of survival.