With time and the right support and resources behind you, you can still live and thrive successfully after injury.
More than 185,000 Veterans who have used the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBIs can range from mild to severe and each person’s experience with the effects of a TBI is different. Some Veterans may be living with a severe TBI after experiencing a blast or explosion during service. Others may have a TBI resulting from a fall or a blow to the head.
TBIs can feel overwhelming and difficult – for both patients and loved ones. Patients can suffer and deal with challenging symptoms ranging from nausea and headaches to problems with memory and extreme irritability. Certain activities may become challenging and adjustments to daily and family life may be necessary.
But with time and the right support and resources behind you, you can still live and thrive successfully after injury.
Learn more about TBIs, some common symptoms and the important support and resources available for Veterans and their families.
What Is a TBI?
A TBI is the disruption of normal brain function caused by an external force. You may get a TBI from a fall, contact sports or the impact of a nearby blast or explosion. You may get a TBI from a blow to your head such as from a fist during a fight or your head striking the inside of a vehicle during a crash.
TBIs are often classified as:
- Mild (the most common type of TBI, also called a concussion)
- Moderate
- Severe
- Penetrating
Mild injuries are associated with brief changes in or loss of consciousness. Severe injuries involve longer periods of unconsciousness and memory loss around the event.
What Are Some Common Symptoms of a TBI?
While most TBIs are mild, even mild cases can involve serious long-term effects if they aren’t detected or treated. Effects can be physical, cognitive and behavioral and in your mind, the symptoms may not seem to connect directly to your brain, such as vision problems, trouble sleeping or speaking, impulse control issues and more. Knowing the signs and symptoms of a TBI can help you with early detection and treatment.
Here are some examples of common symptoms of a TBI:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
- Fatigue
- Depression, anxiety or irritability
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Sleep problems
- Trouble with memory and attention
- Vision changes or blurred vision
- Hearing problems
- Difficulty speaking or repeating yourself
- Impulsivity
- Changes to your sense of taste or smell
- Becoming easily angry or frustrated
While most people with a mild TBI have symptoms that resolve within hours, days or weeks, some may experience persistent symptoms that last for several months or more. These symptoms can lead to mental and physical health problems that impact a Veteran’s employment, relationships and reintegration into their home or community.
Proper screening and diagnosis are key to getting Veterans the support they deserve. The severity of a TBI can usually be assessed through a CT scan to check for evidence of brain bleeding, bruising or swelling, figuring out how long a person was unconscious (if at all), how responsive a person was after the injury and more. But mild concussions and TBIs can be more difficult to diagnose because there may be no observable head injury, even on a scan, and some symptoms overlap with other conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and more.
Check out MakeTheConnection and listen to other Veterans describe their experiences with TBI, including their symptoms and the resources and treatments they found most helpful.
What Strategies Can I Use to Help Manage a TBI?
Whether it’s you or a loved one dealing with a TBI, there are strategies that may help you and your family cope.
- Give it time. Healing from a brain injury doesn’t happen overnight, so give yourself time to heal. This can be hard to do. You may have good days, bad days and take steps back and forward. Give yourself time to adapt to the changes you’ve undergone.
- Use planning and structure to help. Routine and predictability can be helpful when you’re dealing with big changes. Schedule things in advance, practice the same small steps each day, discuss upcoming changes in advance and use a daily routine to keep yourself motivated and working toward your goals. All of this can alleviate additional stress and worry that can come from the unknown.
- Find ways to continue to build independence. Use small successes and build upon them. Continue to try new skills and add small pieces to your routine. Think about ways to continue growing your independence, such as trying a new skill or adding a new step to your routine. Maybe it’s running to the store on your own, going out to a restaurant or scheduling your own appointments for the next month.
- Be patient when it comes to communication. All severities of TBI can lead to communication challenges. TBI can impair your language, your ability to think clearly, your memory, your social skills and more. Knowing this, you and your loved ones must be patient with one another. Try to be clear about your intentions and open when discussing things. A speech-language pathologist can help you relearn how to express your needs and ideas, build your memory skills and more.
- Evaluate your ability to drive. You can work with a professional who can evaluate your ability to drive safely. This may be your occupational therapist, a physical therapist or a certified driving evaluator. Most people return to safe driving after a TBI, but it may take time for your cognitive skills, judgment or vision to improve. It may be helpful for you and your family to consider transportation needs and how to get places safely for a while.
- Pay close attention to your mental health. TBI can increase your risk for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. According to VA research, Veterans with a history of TBI are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than those without such a diagnosis. VA offers several mental health resources designed to help Veterans cope with the effects of TBI.
- Take precautions to avoid another TBI. The effects of repeated injuries to the brain can add up and cause even greater damage than the initial injury. Receiving multiple TBIs can lead to a greater risk for progressive conditions, like Parkinson’s or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Consider the following precautions:
- Safeguard your home. Remove tripping hazards like throw rugs or clutter on the stairs, use non-slip mats, install grab bars by the toilet and tub and improve lighting in dark areas. Check out Stay Safe and Prevent Falls for more tips on how to safeguard your home.
- Follow your health care team’s recommendations. Talk to your health care team about certain activity restrictions and wait to be cleared for different things, such as riding a bike, playing certain sports and more.
- Use seatbelts, helmets and other safety precautions whenever possible for activities including driving a car or motorcycle, playing contact sports or riding a bike.
- Discuss your TBI screening with your health care provider. Veterans who use VA health care must undergo mandatory TBI screening after serving in combat. The screening is four questions that help to identify Veterans who may have been exposed to events that increase the risk for TBI or who have symptoms related to one. Be sure your health care provider has your results and discuss them, as well as any recommended care.
- Access support and resources. You don’t have to suffer from the effects of TBI on your own. You don’t have to suck it up or wait for the symptoms to go away. There are several treatment options available with therapists who can help you build and practice skills, help you manage your mental health and improve your overall quality of life. Check out the information below to get the support you deserve.
What Treatment, Support and Resources Are Available for Veterans?
No matter what your symptoms are or how severe your TBI is, there are treatments and resources available to improve your quality of life.
VA has adopted several strategies to help meet the needs of the thousands of Veterans living with TBI, including
- Ongoing research on the effects of TBI
- Tools to improve the screening and diagnosis of TBI
- Effective evidence-based treatments to manage the effects of TBI
- Coping strategies and support for family members and loved ones
- Rehabilitative therapies and services such as physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and more
- State-of-the-art clinical care
- Learning strategies to cope with health, cognitive and behavioral problems
- Medications to help manage symptoms
- Medical procedures or surgery
- Assistive devices and technologies to improve quality of life
- Access to mental health support
To learn more about these strategies, talk to your health care provider about any symptoms you may be experiencing and get connected to the support you deserve. You can also explore VA’s TBI treatment options, the effects of TBI and much more.
For more information about other important initiatives the military has implemented related to brain health, TBI research and treatment, check out the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative and the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence.
You deserve to feel your best. Reach out and get the support you deserve to help you manage and heal from your TBI.