This post has been updated since its original publish date. If you sliced your finger while chopping carrots, sprained your ankle while hiking, or broke your wrist after falling on a slippery floor, you’d probably race into action to:

• Assess the damage: such as a visit to the ER, an X-ray, or MRI
• Minimize the injury: such as getting stitches, bandages, or a cast
• Kickstart the healing process: such as taking anti-inflammatory medication, restricting activities, or using heat or ice

But what if you injured your brain from a car accident, a fall off your bike, or a hard hit during a sporting event? Since you can’t see your brain, would you even know it’s been injured? Would you follow the same steps? Or would you just hope it’s OK and return to your daily life? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to crack your skull or lose consciousness to damage your brain. A concussion or other mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) may also result from a sports injury, a blow to the head from a seemingly innocuous fall, or an explosive blast. Brain injuries can also occur from the sudden, jarring movement of the head and neck (like whiplash from a car accident). Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to crack your skull or lose consciousness to damage your brain.

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A SILENT EPIDEMIC OF HEAD TRAUMA

Over 2 million head injuries are diagnosed each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s not counting the hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions, of unreported incidents of head trauma, including undiagnosed concussions. Why are there so many brain injuries? There are several reasons, including:

• Many people think the brain is rubbery and fixed within the skull, but it isn’t. In reality, your brain is soft, about the consistency of soft butter, tofu, or custard—somewhere between egg whites and gelatin. It “floats” in cerebrospinal fluid and is housed in a very hard skull that has many sharp bony ridges. As such, it is easily damaged.
• Blows to the head can cause the brain to slosh around, slamming into the hard ridges in the skull. This can cause bruising, broken blood vessels and bleeding, increased pressure, lack of oxygen, damage to nerve cell connections, ripping open of brain cells that spill out proteins that cause inflammatory reactions.
• On top of that, your pituitary gland (which regulates hormones) sits in a vulnerable part of your skull, and it’s often hurt in head injuries, causing major hormonal imbalances.
• Often, brain injuries that don’t result in a loss of consciousness go undetected and are never treated.
• Sadly, most people don’t think about their brain or actively care for it. They are careless and engage in behaviors and activities that put their brain at risk of damage.

CONCUSSIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

Brain injuries are commonly associated with physical issues, such as dizziness, fatigue, headaches, visual disturbances, trouble sleeping, sensitivity to light and sound, and poor balance. But the impact goes much deeper. Research shows that brain injuries are also a major cause of mental health disorders, such as:

• Anxiety disorders
• Panic disorders
• Clinical depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• ADD/ADHD
• Substance abuse disorders
• Personality disorders
• Memory loss and dementia
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors

However, few people (including psychiatrists) know this, because psychiatry remains the only medical specialty that almost never looks at the organ it treats.

CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS

Head injuries, including mild ones, can lead to a host of cognitive and psychosocial symptoms, such as:

• Cognitive problems – poor concentration, brain fog, learning issues, poor judgment and impulsivity, and difficulty putting thoughts into words.
• Psychosocial problems – depression, anger outbursts, irritability, personality changes, and anxiety.

These symptoms can last for hours, days, weeks, months, years, or even decades. At Amen Clinics, the SPECT scans of 40% of all patients who undergo brain imaging have signs of underlying brain injury. Surprisingly, many of them either don’t remember getting injured or think the incident was so mild that it didn’t warrant attention. They’re usually stunned to discover that a past head injury may be contributing to their mental health problems and cognitive issues.

WHAT ROUTINE BRAIN IMAGING MISSES ABOUT HEAD INJURIES

If you seek medical treatment for a head injury, you may undergo certain types of brain imaging, such as MRI or CT. These neuroimaging technologies show the structure of the brain, but they don’t provide information on how it is functioning. For this reason, an MRI scan or CT scan can show “normal” results even if you’re struggling with symptoms. Brain SPECT imaging, on the other hand, shows how the brain functions. It measures blood flow and activity in the brain and shows 3 things:

• Areas of the brain with healthy activity
• Areas with too much activity
• Areas with too little activity

This can be more valuable in cases where cognitive dysfunction, psychological issues, or behavioral problems are present.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST MEDICINE FOR BRAIN HEALTH

To help keep your brain safe and prevent brain injuries:

• Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
• Always buckle your child into a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt (according to the child’s height, weight, and age) in the car.
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription medications that can impair the ability to drive.
• Avoid high-risk sports and activities where you can hit your head (no tackle football, hitting soccer balls with your head, or boxing).
• Always wear a helmet and make sure your children wear helmets while playing contact sports, bike riding, horseback riding, skateboarding, snowmobiling, skiing, or snowboarding.
• Do not dive in water less than 12 feet deep or in above-ground pools. Check the depth and check for debris in the water before diving.
• Always hold handrails when going down stairs.

HOW TO HELP YOUR BRAIN HEAL AFTER A CONCUSSION

Many people have a first-aid kit for life’s mishaps. It’s just as important to have a concussion first-aid kit that can minimize damage and accelerate the healing process. In addition, you should protect yourself from hurting your brain again as repeat injuries increase the risk of serious long-term problems. Other self-care techniques you can use to help your brain heal include:

• Get plenty of sleep at night, and rest during the day.
• Increase your activity slowly.
• Write down the things that may be harder than usual for you to remember.
• Avoid alcohol, drugs, and caffeine.
• Eat brain-healthy foods.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Ask your doctor when it’s OK for you to drive a car, ride a bike, or operate machinery.
• Avoid activities that are physically demanding (sports, and housework, for example).
• Avoid activities that require a lot of thinking or concentration (like playing video games or balancing a checkbook).
• Be patient because healing takes time.

Concussions and the cognitive and mental health issues associated with them can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.