Football season may be over for the year, but the concussions experienced by many NFL Football players will have effects that long outlast the Superbowl. The different kinds of brain damage that can occur as a result of being a professional football player have received more extensive media coverage in recent years. This article will give you the basics about why traumatic brain injuries have been such an issue for the NFL.

Changes Have Occurred

According to the NFL’s 2015 Health and Safety Report, concussions during regular season games have been reduced by 35% since 2012. This could be due to the NFL’s 2013 ban on tackling players from a hard hit to the top of the head. The NFL has also considered other changes to reduce concussions, such as training individuals to adopt a tackling style that is similar to the one used in professional rugby.

Is it Enough?

Many players from the NFL do not feel that the league has done enough to inform them of the long-term consequences of playing the game. Family member’s of deceased players are devastated by having to watch their loved ones suffer from the effects of multiple concussions and the long term effects of TBI’s, such as depression, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. Because these individuals and their families feel that they need to be properly compensated for their loss, the NFL has been exposed to multiple lawsuits for medical costs, lost wages, and emotional harm.

What Needs to Be Done

The NFL long has denied any wrongdoing and has consistently insisted that safety always has been a top priority. For real change to occur, the NFL needs to realize the true long-term impacts that concussions and TBI’s can have on individuals and take the steps to create policies and procedures to keep players safe.

For more information on TBIs, join the TryMunity community today. We are all in this together.

The short and long term impacts of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can affect both the individual who experienced the injury, their family members, and friends. Often people who have suffered a TBI do not know where to start when it comes to educating the people they love. There are many ways to begin to help those around you understand what a TBI is and what the potential long-term consequences may be.

Provide Reputable Resources

One of the best ways to provide information and increase awareness about TBI’s is to provide those closest to you with highly reputable resources. These resources could include medical journal articles, medical information websites, and articles on non-profit websites like TryMunity.

Speak out Using Social Media

Social Media can be an excellent tool to provide awareness about TBI’s! Using social media will allow you to provide information about TBI’s to individuals who may have never researched them on their own. You may be surprised by the number of people within your social media community who have personally been impacted by a TBI.

Ask the Expert

Your Doctor or a TBI specialist may be an excellent resource for helping you to identify education and awareness needs within your community. They can help to identify gaps in your community’s knowledge or local events that provide education on TBI’s and their long-term impacts.

Ready. Set. Go!

There are so many ways to encourage the education and awareness of TBI’s within your local community and among your friends and family. The steps above represent a starting point for you to begin your education and awareness work. For more ideas about how to spread the word on TBI’s, explore TryMunity’s large community of individuals who could be willing to help.

If you have suffered from a TBI, join the TryMunity community today. We have the resources and information to assist you through this difficult time. 

When it comes to head injuries, there is a lot of confusion when it comes to medical descriptions. With many different interpretations of different terms, it can be difficult to determine what people actually mean. Some of those terms include open head injuries or closed head injuries. TryMunity always wants to spread knowledge and correct information to the TBI community. Here is a brief summary of open and closed head injuries. If you have any specific questions relating to your injury, it is best to refer to your doctor.

Open Head Injury vs. Closed Head Injury

A closed head injury is one in which an injury does not break the skull. An open head injury is one that breaks through the skull and goes through to the brain. The determining factor that makes an injury closed or open depends on if the skull is intact.

Which Is Worse?

It is difficult to assess how severe an injury is depending on if it is a closed or open head injury. The swelling involved in some closed head injuries is so great that it can cause significant damage. If a head injury is open, it leaves the brain exposed to damage as well. Either one could be more severe than the other with certain circumstances. There have been some situations in which an opening in the skull allowed the brain to swell without as much damage to tissue and made the injury less severe while other open head injuries caused more harm. The only way to determine the severity of a brain injury is to consult with a medical professional.

If you have questions regarding open head injuries or closed head injuries, join the TryMunity community today. We are happy to assist you with support and resources to help you recover and get back to the most important aspects of your life.

When you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, winter may seem more dangerous than any other season. With slick ice on the ground, you may feel wary about stepping foot outside. However, it is important to get out in the fresh air and be able to enjoy your day-to-day despite your TBI. TryMunity has collected a few ways that you can avoid dangerous slip-and-falls this winter.

1. Proper Shoes

When you go out in any type of icy weather, be sure to wear proper footwear. The right grip on your shoes can help provide more traction on an icy surface and prevent slip-and-falls. If you are on your way to a holiday party where thick-tread boots aren’t going to look fashionable, place more party-appropriate shoes in a bag and change when you arrive inside. While it may feel awkward, it is much better to change your footwear than risk a nasty fall.

2. Park in Your Garage

One of the most common places people slip-and-fall is on the way to their car. Parking in your garage can help minimize your exposure to your icy sidewalks and driveways. If you don’t have a garage, try your best to walk carefully and be aware of any ice near your car.

3. Salt Your Walkway

If you have a walkway or driveway at your home, it would be wise to give it a good salting during icy storms. This will help melt any accumulated ice and keep the area safe to walk on.

4. Walk with Purpose

Most slips happen when you aren’t paying close attention to where you are stepping. Make sure when the temperature drops that you pay close attention to every step you take. This can lessen the chance you will be caught off-guard by a patch of ice.

If you have questions, or just need support, join the TryMunity community today. No one should have to deal with TBI alone. We are all in this together!

Traumatic brain injury has persisted as one of the main causes of death and serious injury in the United States. Along with the severe short-term impact that TBI has on the health and well being of the injured, there is also a long term concern for dementia and memory loss. TryMunity always wants to inform our community as much as possible on the potential long-term consequences of TBI. Here we will briefly discuss the pathology of dementia resulting from TBI. If you have any specific questions, it is best to consult with your doctor.

TBI Increases Risk for Dementia

Data has shown that moderate to severe TBI can increase the risk for dementia 2 to 4-fold. Especially when there is repeated injury to the brain, patents are at high risk to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a specific type of dementia associated with TBI. There is still considerable study to be done on the increase in Alzheimer disease and TBI.

Signs & Symptoms of Dementia

While dementia is not a specific disease, it can be used to describe a wide range of symptoms. Dementia is associated with a decline in the cognitive abilities and memory of an individual. It is important to note that symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, but there must be at least a few core mental functions to be impacted for it to be considered dementia. Symptoms of dementia include:

• Memory loss
• Unable to communicate properly
• Unable to focus or pay attention
• Lack of judgment or reasoning
• Poor visual perception

If you or a loved one has experienced these symptoms after a TBI, it is important that you speak with your doctor.

For support, resources, and more, join the TryMunity community today. You are not alone in this journey. We are all in this together!

When you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, it can be difficult to relate to others. Thankfully, there is a large community that has come together to help support and guide others through life with a TBI. Many people in the TBI community have written about their struggles and achievements in their TBI journey. Here is a fantastic list of TBI blogs that you should know.

Kara Swanson’s Brain Injury Blog

After suffering from a brain injury, Kara Swanson dove headfirst into TBI research. She wrote the book, I’ll Carry the Fork, detailing her injury, recovery, and long lasting symptoms. After learning extensively about TBI, she decided to start a blog to give readers a much more personal and day-by-day account of her trials and tribulations. Her story is relatable, warm, and maintains a sense of uplifting humor. Definitely a must-read!

Brain Injury Support Group: By Zach Gauvin

This is an inspiring blog that details the journey of Zach Gauvin. When Zach was 17, doctors informed his mother that he had only a 5% chance of surviving. After being in a coma for a month, he started a miraculous road to recovery. Zach wrote his book, Miracle Kid, and started his blog to help give hope to those currently suffering from TBI. If you are looking for a great supportive and inspiring story about recovery, check out Zach’s blog.

David’s Traumatic Brain Injury Blog

After a cycling accident in 2010 almost claimed David’s life, he has suffered from many of the symptoms of traumatic brain injury. He has published his journey both in a blog, and also in his book, Metamorphosis, that documents his crash, hospital stay, recovery, and current struggles. This is a fantastic blog that really touches on the emotional impact of TBI.

If you are suffering from a TBI and have questions, join the TryMunity community today. We have the resources and support to assist you.

Over the last few decades there has been extensive changes to the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury. There has been a dramatic increase in awareness and identification of traumatic brain injuries in the military and the research has grown to non-veteran victims of traumatic brain injury as a whole. Thankfully, the awareness of the long lasting impact of traumatic brain injury has led to more supportive treatment and a much better recovery for countless individuals with TBI. Let’s look at how the area of TBI treatment has evolved over the last century.

Past Treatment of TBI

In the past, traumatic brain injuries were treated just like any injury. People were given medical care until they were “healed” but no long lasting rehabilitation was offered. Many of these patients suffered without any supportive or rehabilitative care. Their emotional symptoms were often ignored or wrote off as mental illness. It wasn’t widely known about the long-term effects even a mild traumatic brain injury could have on brain chemistry and function. Therapies were lacking and understanding was minimal. It is clear we have come very far in the treatment and diagnosis regarding TBI.

Current Treatment Options

Current treatment for traumatic brain injury depends heavily on the type of injury sustained. Generally, there is initial treatment of stabilizing the patient and ensuring they are able to control their normal bodily functions. Patients are then referred to a rehabilitative care center to continue treatment and restore them to functioning effectively in their daily life. Continued therapy and treatment is often recommended to deal with the after effects, disability, and stress associated with TBI.

For more information regarding traumatic brain injury treatment and other resources, join the Trymunity community today. We are happy to put you in touch with the right information.