Effects of a Brain Injury

Brain injury is more common than you think…

Each year as many as 1 million people attending the hospital in the UK will have sustained a head injury.

The most common causes of ‘Traumatic’ brain injury are:

• Road traffic accidents
• Assaults
• Accidents during leisure or work
• Falls

Other common causes of brain injury:

• Stroke
• Haemorrhage
• Infection

Brain injury affects people in different ways, some of the side effects include:

Physical and sensory problems:

• Persistent headaches
• Dizziness and loss of balance
• Nausea/vomiting
• Visual disturbances
• Easily upset by loud noise

Sleep disturbances:

• Altered sleep patterns
• Fatigue

Behavioural and mood changes:

• Restlessness
• Being irritable and easily angered
• Feelings of depression, tearful or anxious
• Feelings of frustration or impatient

Cognitive problems:

• Memory problems
• Difficulties with attention and concentration
• Taking longer to think
• Difficulties with problem solving