Last year’s untimely death of actress Natasha Richardson—from a head injury sustained while skiing on a beginners’ slope—surprised a lot of people who didn’t know the dangers of seemingly minor blows to the head.

But every year some 1.4 million Americans sustain a head injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Of these, 50,000 die and 80,000 to 90,000 survive with significant disabilities, including problems with thinking, speaking, and hearing.

Understanding TBI
TBIs occur when trauma to the head damages the brain. Transportation accidents cause half of all TBIs, and they’re the major cause among people younger than 75 years old. Falls take the blame for most head injuries in those older than 75. Other primary causes include assaults, as well as accidents at home, work, outdoors, or while playing sports.

Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms of a head injury can occur right away or appear slowly over several hours. TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe. A person with a mild TBI may remain conscious or pass out briefly. A mild TBI may also cause headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, memory problems, confusion, and light-headedness.

A person who has had a serious head injury with the following symptoms needs immediate medical treatment:

• Unequal pupil size
• Convulsions
• Skull fracture
• Personality changes
• Loss of consciousness or confusion
• Drowsiness
• Low breathing rate
• Lack of coordination or clumsiness
• Vomiting
• Severe headache
• Impaired hearing, smell, taste, or vision
• Symptoms that improve but suddenly get worse

Prevention
Not all head injuries can be prevented. However, these recommendations from the Brain Injury Association of America can reduce your risk:

• Wear a seat belt every time you travel in a motor vehicle.
• Buckle your child into an approved child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, depending on the child’s height or weight.
• Never drive when you’ve been drinking or taking drugs that may cause drowsiness.
• Make sure you and your family members wear helmets when:
  • Riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle
  • Playing football, hockey, or other contact sports
  • Using in-line skates or a skateboard
  • Batting and running the bases in baseball or softball
  • Riding a horse
  • Skiing or snowboarding
• Avoid head injuries at home by:
  • Removing tripping hazards
  • Installing handrails on stairways
  • Installing safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs if young children are present

Increasing your knowledge about the causes and symptoms of TBI can help you protect yourself and your loved ones.

For more information, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at www.ninds.nih.gov.

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