Our soldiers have the most advanced protective gear and medical treatment they have ever had during a time of war. This means that more soldiers than ever are surviving combat. It also means that those who are injured can survive with more serious injuries than ever before. The combination of high survival rates and the increased use of explosives, means that many soldiers are coming home with amputations and head injuries, making traumatic brain injury (TBI) the signature wound of the war in Iraq.
In past wars, TBI made up a much smaller percentage of injuries, and most soldiers who incurred a brain injury did not survive. Today, somewhere between 22% and one-third of soldiers are coming home from the war with TBI and surviving. Because many of these injuries are caused by IED’s (improvised explosive devices), they are concussion injuries with no visible head wound. Many soldiers with TBI are not aware that they have a brain injury.
Brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and brain injuries can have the same symptoms. Both can create psychological, emotional, social, and cognitive difficulties, making adjustment to civilian life after combat extremely difficult. Additionally, TBI can cause physical disabilities alone or in combination with other wounds. Physical and emotional problems caused by TBI can appear to be a combination of PTSD and direct physical injury, with the brain injury going unrecognized and untreated.
Brain injury and epilepsy
Epilepsy is very common in brain injury victims. Over half of all people with TBI develop epilepsy within one year of being injured. Currently, epilepsy affects about one to two percent of the population. With the high incidence of TBI in veterans, experts worry that we could see a surge in epilepsy rates in coming years.
Early warning signs of epilepsy can also be mistaken for symptoms of PTSD. Warning signs of epilepsy include:
· Lapses in memory
· Strange sensory auras
· Changes in behavior
· Attention problems
· Depression
People who do not know that they have epilepsy can have seizures without ever knowing it. Because they have no memory of the seizure, it often takes someone else witnessing the event for them to find out. The only other real clue is if the epilepsy victim notices signs that they have experienced a blackout. Many people are frightened by the implications of having blackouts and do not want to face the possibility or discuss it with others.
Getting the right care
The brain is still a medical mystery and treating brain injuries can be difficult and unpredictable. Proper and effective treatment means seeing specialists. The best chance of recovery means getting care from doctors who have advanced knowledge in the latest TBI treatments.
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