Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a major public health problem. It especially affects male adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, as well as older adults of both sexes aged 75 and older. Children aged 5 and younger are also at high risk.

What is TBI? A form of acquired brain injury, it occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. The damage can be confined to one or more areas of the brain and can result from a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. A closed injury occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, but the object does not break through the skull. A penetrating injury occurs when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. Some symptoms are evident immediately, while others do not become obvious until several days or weeks after the injury.

A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. The person may also feel dazed or not like himself for several days or weeks after the initial injury. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration or thinking.

A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and/or increased confusion, restlessness or agitation.

Small children with moderate to severe TBI may show some of these signs as well as signs specific to young children, such as persistent crying, inability to be consoled, and/or refusal to nurse or eat.

Anyone with signs of moderate or severe TBI should receive medical attention as soon as possible. They should also contact a brain injury attorney with experience in representing TBI victims.