2277 Highway 36 West, Suite 200 Roseville, MN 55113-3830
Phone: 612-378-2742
Toll Free: 1-800-669-6442
Fax: 612-378-2789
E-Mail:info@braininjurymn.org
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Causes and Effects
Brain injury can happen to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Major causes of brain injury include:
- Falls
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Assaults
- Sports-related concussions
- Strokes
- Aneurysms
- Diseases, such as encephalitis
- Near drowning
- Family Violence
- Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) /inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury
Every brain injury is unique. As a result, there are no universal rules to how a brain injury will affect a particular person. Most people who sustain a brain injury will experience some changes, at least temporarily. Some people may try to hide the changes and some people won't notice them, but often friends and family will see the changes. It's important that the individual with the brain injury, and the people supporting him/her, understand that these changes are a result of damage to the brain; the individual probably isn’t acting or behaving differently on purpose or to be difficult.
Physical, cognitive and emotional changes from a brain injury can occur immediately after an injury; however, it may take some time for the symptoms to appear. Common symptoms of brain injury may include any combination of the following:
Physical Changes:
- Frequent headaches
- Fatigue
- Ringing in the ears
- Blurred or double vision
Cognitive Changes:
- Short-term memory loss, such as forgetting names or numbers
- Slowness in thinking
- Difficulty learning new tasks
- Trouble making decisions or frequently getting lost
Emotional Changes:
- More irritable or angry
- Laughing or crying more often
- More sad or depressed than before
- Difficulty sleeping
It is estimated that 100,000 Minnesotans currently live with a disability as a result of brain injury.