In the hot summer months, water seems to be everywhere. Whether walking beside a swimming pool, strolling in the park or shopping in a market, you have to worry about slips and falls. After all, if you sustain a traumatic brain injury, your fall is significantly worse than mere embarrassment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TBIs kill more than 150 individuals every single day in the United States. If you hit your head during a fall, your life may never return to normal. Here are four types of TBIs you may sustain during a slip and fall:
1. A concussion
The most common type of TBI is a concussion. When you receive a sudden blow to the head, such as banging it against a hard floor, your brain continues to move in the direction of the force. If your brain hits your skull, you may develop a concussion. While some concussions are minor, others are life-threatening. Even worse, you may have long-term health consequences following even a minor concussion.
2. A contusion
A contusion occurs when you have bleeding inside your brain. It may help to think of this type of TBI as a bruise. Unfortunately, blood buildup can lead to a variety of complications. As such, you may need to have a surgeon remove a contusion from your brain if it causes problems.
3. A penetrative injury
When you fall, you cannot control where you land. If your head ends up on a sharp object, the object may penetrate inside your skull and damage your brain. If the object goes completely through your head and emerges from the other side, you likely have a through-and-through TBI.
4. A diffuse axonal TBI
When you slip and fall, you do not only have to worry about your head. If you develop a diffuse axonal TBI, you have brainstem damage. That is, during your fall, parts of your brainstem sustain an injury or separate completely. Either may lead to a variety of problems, including paralysis or death.
Because slips and falls may cause you to develop a TBI, you should always ask a doctor to fully examine you following an accident. If you bump your head, you must also understand that TBIs can be both severe and life-changing.
