March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the only reason to wear green in March. The month that ushers in springtime also serves to bring the brain to the top of our minds.

That’s right: it’s Brain Injury Awareness Month.

ImageCare Radiology is proud to provide MRI brain scans in New Jersey to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of TBIs. In honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month, let’s learn a little bit more about TBIs.

What is a TBI?

TBI stands for traumatic brain injury. That may seem self-explanatory, but this is an umbrella terms that encompasses a host of brain injuries. The common thread is that a TBI is damage to the brain. That damage may result from a forceful impact to the head or body, or by an object that pierces the brain tissue, such as a bullet.

That said, not all blows to the head result in a TBI. Furthermore, the damage ranges both in longevity and in severity. It can be focal, meaning it impacts one specific area of the brain or it can be a diffuse injury that occurs over a wide area of the brain.

Some TBIs are temporary while others are permanent. For example, a concussion is a type of mild TBI that causes temporary brain damage. On the other end of the spectrum, post-traumatic dementia, or PTD is caused by a single severe TBI.

What usually causes a TBI?

The leading causes of a TBI include, but are not limited to:

• Falls – these are the most common cause of TBIs, and they typically occur in the very young and very old.
• Sports injuries – this is blunt trauma in which an individual is struck against an object or another person.
• Vehicle accidents – these include pedestrians, cars, and bicycles.
• Violence and assault – this includes domestic violence, gunshot wounds, and shaken baby syndrome.
• Explosions and/or blasts – members of the military are more susceptible to this type of TBI.

Seek immediate medical attention to properly treat a TBI.

Treatment depends on the size, severity, and specific location of the injury. An MRI brain scan gives us the answer to all three of these questions. The effects of the injury may be immediate, or they may reveal themselves over the course of a few days or weeks. Regardless, it is important to seek immediate medical attention and follow up accordingly. This course of action always achieves the best results.

Turn to ImageCare Radiology when you need an MRI brain scan in New Jersey. This enables your health care provider to learn the size, severity, and location of the brain injury in order to determine the best course of treatment.