Establish a regular daily routine to structure activities.Discuss all over the counter medications with your health care provider as they may impact your recovery process in a negative manner.ĥAdapted from Deployment Health Clinical Center.Ask your healthcare provider about caffeine or "energy-enhancing" products as they may increase symptoms 5.Inquire about how alcohol might slow healing of the injury or pose a risk to other behavioral functioning.Assess activities that could lead to another brain injury and make a healthy plan for protection.Check with someone you trust when making decisions.Do only one thing at a time if you are easily distracted.(Please note the disclaimer at the beginning of the manual).
Improvement of symptoms typically occurs over the first 1-3 months after the injury however, possibilities for improvement are limitless. Talk to your health care provider about any troubling symptoms or signs. Some symptoms can last for days, weeks or longer.
People with a previous injury may find it takes longer to recover from their current injury. Most people with mild TBI recover fully, but it can take time. Those who screen positive for TBI are arranged to have further evaluation. Veterans, who confirm Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) theater deployments and do not have a prior TBI diagnosis, are asked a series of four sequential sets of questions based on the Brief Traumatic Brain Injury Survey. Screening for TBI also occurs upon entry into the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system, using a TBI clinical reminder tracking system. Positive responses on all four questions prompt a clinical interview for further evaluation. Four questions from the Brief Traumatic Brain Injury Survey appear on the PDHA. Post deployment screenings of active duty service members are conducted during post deployment health assessments (PDHA). This tool is used with clinical information to determine if a higher level of care is needed. A Military Acute Concussion Evaluation tool is used to measure four cognitive domains: orientation, immediate memory, concentration, and memory recall. In theater, screening should occur immediately following the injury event or as soon as possible. Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).ģ TBI Numbers. Soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).Ģ Deployment Health Clinical Center. It is important to note that this number is all personnel not just injuries sustained in the combat zone. Shock wave blasts from IEDs, rocket propelled grenades, and land mines are the leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in combat zones.Īs of November 15, 2010, there were 195,547 military personnel since 2000 who have suffered a TBI.
If the head is hit or violently shaken (from a blast or explosion), a concussion or closed head injury can result. It has been estimated that more than 50% of all combat injuries are blast injuries occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers are at risk for blast injuries from, rocket propelled grenades, IEDs and land mines. TBIs are caused by falls, accidents, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, or shock wave blasts from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The human brain controls our physical, cognitive, and behavioral functions. Traumatic Brain Injury and Soldiers TBI and Soldiers InformationĪ traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury caused by an external force that impacts one or more parts of the brain which impacts normal brain functions.