An eighty-year-old woman tumbles down the stairs. A teenaged boy is spooked during a convenience store robbery and shoots the cashier in the head. Another teenthis time a girlis distracted by her cell phones ring and careens into a tree. A rugby player trips over an opponents shoe and is accidentally kicked in the head.

These and similar injuries can be defined as traumatic brain injuries (TBI); they all involve severe blows to or assaults on the head that can affect the brains function. Sudden acceleration followed by an abrupt deceleration can cause the brain to bounce inside the skull, leading to bruising and swelling. For some people, this kind of trauma ends in death. For others, their physical, mental, and behavioral abilities may be profoundly affected. Additionally, their brain damage is generally irreversible; victims face lifelong consequences from their injuries.

A TBI can range from mild to severe depending on which part of the brain is injured and the degree of damage. The results of mild TBI may involve only confusion and a headache. A severe TBI, as indicated above, can lead to death.

A person with mild TBI may not experience unconsciousness or it may last for only a short time ranging from seconds to minutes. Dizziness, headache, confusion, blurred vision, fatigue, moodiness and a change in sleep patterns are all signs of a mild TBI. In some cases, such side effects may appear days or weeks after their accidents.

A person with moderate or severe TBI may lapse into a coma. His or her loss of consciousness may last days, weeks, or even longer. Some patients remain in a persistent vegetative state. When a person emerges from a coma, s/he may experience the problems mentioned above as well as an unremitting headache, nausea or vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, greater confusion, and coordination difficulties.

Doctors use various methods to treat a patient with a brain injury. Oxygen must be supplied to the brain and blood pressure must be stabilized. Surgery may be necessary to remove or repair blood vessels in the brain tissues. Fluids may also need to be drained from the brain.

Recovery from a TBI often requires rehabilitation. This may include physical, speech, and occupational therapies as well as medicines and counseling to address social and relational problems.

Some tips that have proven useful to those recovering from a TBI include:

use notes to remind you where things are or what needs to be done

get plenty of rest and take breaks when needed

avoiding activities that may lead to jostling of the brain, e.g. riding on roller coasters

wear a helmet when biking, rollerblading, etc.

dont skip meals

avoid alcohol and/or other drugs not prescribed by your doctor

get help to compensate for lost skills (discuss such options with your physician)

Blows to the head are serious; they may cause problems that affect every area of a persons life and those consequences can last a lifetime. The victim of any sort of head trauma should be taken to a doctor, who can direct him or her to appropriate and effective treatment.