What is Brain Injury?
Each year as many as 1 million people attend A&E departments in the UK after a head injury. The brain is an amazing organ and determines what we think, do and who we are.
Although protected by the skull, the brain can still be easily injured, even if there is no obvious external damage to the head. It is estimated that approximately 2000 people a year in Northern Ireland sustain and are living with the long-term effects of a brain injury.
There are two types of brain injury:
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI):
Refers to any form of brain injury that has occurred since birth. ABI can occur without any outward physical evidence of injury or trauma. This includes damage to the brain caused by:
- Strokes *
- Tumours
- Anoxia
- Hypoxia
- other conditions not necessarily caused by an external force
*Denotes that support may fall under stroke care pathway
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):
Results from damage to brain tissue caused by an external force. Leading causes of TBI are:
- motor vehicle accidents
- acts of violence
- falls
- sports and recreational injuries
- blows to the head
How does a brain injury affect a person?
Brain injury affects each person differently. Some people may have severe physical disabilities, while others have less obvious problems with their:
- memory
- concentration
- balance
- Speech
- personality / behaviour
- organisational and coping skills
These problems can have a life-changing effect on the person with the brain injury and on their families. Brain injury does not just affec the person with the injury.
A brain injury impacts on the whole family and can affect how family members relate to each other, their financial situation, social network and much more.
Parenting skills may be affected and family roles may change. All this can be very stressful and demanding and we recognise the importance of supporting the whole family.
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