March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. This year, the designated theme and hashtag is #MoreThanMyBrainInjury. According to the Brain Injury Association of America’s data, over 5.3 million children and adults live with some brain injury-related disability.

Some of them are a result of infectious disease, a stroke, or brain tumors; however, there is a large number of cases of concussions, or as they are called, mild traumatic brain injuries. Concussions happen more often than we all think – a sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce inside the skull, resulting in injuries of varying degrees.

These types of injuries vary in severity, and professional healthcare providers evaluate them based on memory loss, consciousness, and other factors.

A concussion might happen anywhere at any time. Brain injuries result from blows to the head during sports, slipping or falling, or car or workplace accidents. While most concussions are not life-threatening, some long-term effects might affect the patients and make them require prolonged medical care.

Although most traumatic brain injury examples in the media result from physical activity, not all brain injury trauma is related to sports. For instance, as stated above, older adults face a higher risk simply from falling. That’s why it is crucial to be aware of these early symptoms whenever someone falls or gets hit in the head.

At Ascend Hospice Care, we are deeply committed to our patients and their family’s safety and comfort. During Brain Injury Awareness Month, we can keep encouraging the conversation around patient safety. So please, call us if you have any concerns regarding brain injury care or other subjects.