What Happens After Loss of Consciousness Due to Head Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to the destruction or damage of brain tissue due to a car accident, an assault, a fall, and other similar events. Depending on the severity of the TBI, victims can lose consciousness due to the damage or destruction of the brain tissue. Here is some information about what happens after loss of consciousness due to head injury.

Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

When it comes to TBIs, there are closed-head injuries and open-head injuries. A closed head injury usually occurs because an individual suffers a blow that whips the head from side to side or back and forth.

This motion causes the brain to collide with the bony skull at a high velocity. The impact can tear blood vessels and cause the brain tissue to bruise, particularly in areas where the skull is uneven and rough. Generally, damage to the brain occurs at and opposite the point of impact.

Open-head injuries occur when an object, such as a bullet, penetrates the skull. The damage from an open-head injury is usually focal and limited. However, depending on the path of the invasive object, the injuries can be as serious as closed-head injuries.

What Happens After Loss of Consciousness Due to Head Injury?

Victims with more severe TMIs often experience loss of consciousness after the trauma. This loss of consciousness can last just a few minutes or even many months. If the loss of consciousness is lengthy, it is called a coma. In many cases, the trauma also causes negative changes in motor functions and respiration.

Some individuals with severe injuries regain consciousness while individuals with the most severe injuries may never regain consciousness. Some neurologically-based symptoms that individuals may experience include aggression, irritability, and post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). Over time, the responses to the trauma subside. However, since the neurons cannot mend themselves, full recovery is often not possible.

About Complete Care Emergency Centers

For more information about what occurs after the loss of consciousness due to head injury or to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact the nearest Complete Care emergency room by phone.