Whether it is due to a fall, automobile collision or a workplace incident, a head injury is a severe trauma on the body. Although the skull protects the brain, this does not always evade serious harm to this vital organ. A brain injury can vastly change the victim, making it difficult to return to his or her normal life. And on top of ongoing medical treatment and care, brain injury victims in Florida and elsewhere may no longer be able to hold down a job. Thus, such an injury is not only disabling but also the cause of financial problems.
What long-term impacts can a traumatic brain injury involve? A TBI can be the result of various accidents or injuries; however, those in the military have been prone to this life altering injury. Therefore, many studies have been conducted in order to get a better grasp on the effects a TBI can have on veterans that suffered a brain injury during deployment.
The study involved 172 vets that served one to two years in Afghanistan or Iraq. Half of the study participants suffered a TBI during deployment while the other half did not. The traumatic brain injuries suffered by the participants were caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that resulted in disruption to his or her normal brain functions. When considering the symptoms suffered by these participants, the top symptoms were headaches, depression, sleep disorders and problems with thinking and muscle control.
For those suffering severe headaches, these were described as being disabling. In fact, these headaches were so bad that these veterans had to stop all activity and became bedridden. For many, this meant they could only do the most essential daily tasks, causing his or her activity levels to decrease by 50 to 90 percent.
Among vets suffering a TBI, a disabling headache was the most common long-term effect suffered. Roughly three out of four vets in this study suffered such headaches. This means that a large number of TBI sufferers are likely to live with disabling headaches that prevent them from living a normal life.
In these cases, it is important to understand how individuals can overcome this disability and how they can cover medical costs and basic living needs. Social Security disability benefits could help offset these burdens, helping disabled individuals obtain the financial assistance they need to get by.
Source: Upi.com, “Veterans with traumatic brain injuries at risk for severe headaches years later,” June 20, 2017
