Can a Concussion Lead to a Traumatic Brain Injury?

The bottom-line answer is “yes.”

A concussion is an intracranial injury that should be taken seriously. Symptoms may have begun with a concussion and then escalated to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A person may be admitted to NeuLife for specialized post-acute rehabilitation after sustaining a TBI for which he or she was treated in a hospital. In some instances, it may be referred to as a mild TBI. A person may not realize he or she has suffered a concussion after a fall or head bump until the symptoms become more prominent, sometimes a few weeks later. Because of that, it is essential to seek medical attention no matter how minimal the injury seems at the time. Similar to a concussion, a TBI may be caused by a jolt, bump or blow to the head disrupting the normal function of the brain. Also, a TBI may occur as a result of a penetrating head injury caused by a contact sport, an automobile accident or from physical abuse. These are more readily recognized, but it has become increasingly evident that even a “mild” concussion is an injury that should not be ignored.

Recognizing and addressing the symptoms of a concussion without delay may help avoid further injury from occurring, or even prevent death. A few symptoms of a concussion are:

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Loss of consciousness
• Lethargy
• Sleepiness

A common misconception regarding concussion is that one must lose consciousness. This “belief” may be detrimental to the well being of the injured. It is important to know and remember that an individual may have a concussion even if he or she did not lose consciousness.

The danger of sustaining a repeat concussion increases in someone who has had a previous concussion. A repeat concussion may lead to a TBI that may result in death or permanent disability, especially if the concussions were within a short time span. As a result, a repeat concussion may become what is known as a “second impact syndrome,” compounding the possible brain damage that occurred after the previous concussion.

Athletes are most vulnerable to concussions or traumatic brain injuries, especially those participating in contact sports. The danger for an athlete is that he or she may not realize any symptoms of a concussion or TBI until dizziness and headaches increase a few weeks later.

Another danger, which may result from a concussion, is severe TBI. A traumatic brain injury may be mild, moderate or severe. A mild TBI usually describes the symptoms of a concussion, e.g., person was unconscious or his or her mental status briefly changed. On the other hand, a person who has had a severe TBI would have been unconscious for an extended period of time or experienced amnesia after the injury.

No matter how mild or severe, TBIs should be addressed immediately. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a substantial number of deaths occur each year and are attributable to TBIs. In fact, 2.5 million traumatic brain injuries occurred in 2010 and were either suffered with other injuries or an isolated injury.

Therefore, proper medical care is necessary and symptoms should be reported at once no matter how slight they may appear initially. By addressing the concussion symptoms or TBI at the onset and obtaining medical treatment immediately, permanent brain damage or worse, death, might be avoided.

Proper and timely post-acute rehabilitation and care that may determine the difference between disability and independence is what NeuLife refers to as the “platinum post-acute period”— the crucial window following acute care that is needed to nurture the whole person to health with specialized, clinically relevant services.

NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is a fully accessible specialized residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic amputations and other catastrophic injuries.

2725 Robie Avenue
Mount Dora, Florida 32757
Call: 800.626.3836
Email: Info@NeuLifeRehab.com
Visit: NeuLifeRehab.com