Accidents are unpredictable. You may be standing at the side of the road, waiting for the bus, when all of a sudden you are hit by a vehicle. At other times, you may be waiting for the green light, when your car was hit by a vehicle at the rear causing you to slam your head on the steering wheel. After an accident that involved a blow to the head, TBI does not always result. Victims of these types of accidents may survive with little more than a mild concussion. But if certain symptoms arise, the injured person should immediately be taken to the nearest hospital.

There are a great number of issues that must be investigated and documented regarding a traumatic brain injury. It is important to have proper tests done by medical experts to understand the nature and extent of your traumatic brain injury. Probably one of the most popular, a head injury is often the most common type of brain injury. The terms are often used interchangeably; however, head injury is more often used to describe superficial types of injury to the head. Most are temporary and provide no cause for alarm.

Concussion is another type of brain injury that beset most people today. This often results when the brain is shaken violently. Persons who suffer from this brain injury usually get unconscious after the initial occurrence. Traumatic Brain Injury is classified based on the level of severity. Sports people will most likely suffer from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI), which presents a unique framework primarily owing to the fact that you can suffer from MTBI without ever losing consciousness!

Any period of unconsciousness is a red flag to rule out permanent brain injury, i.e. to evaluate the nature and extent of the brain injury. Loss of consciousness always should be considered significant. Each region of the brain has specific biological functions, and when they are damaged due to Traumatic Brain Injury (or TBI), these regions display specific and differing symptoms.

Another aspect that contributes to the difference in symptoms is the part of the brain that is affected. For instance, a person who suffered injury at the left side of his brain tends to be unconscious for a long period of time compared to one who incurs injury at the right side. Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.

Some long-term conditions of traumatic brain injury include seizures, headaches, visual problems and sleep disorders. So if you know someone who suffered a concussion(no matter how mild it is) you need to learn all the potential suicide warning signs, so that you can save that person's life if they become suicidal. It is often the case that traumatic brain injury among the elderly isn't discovered until it is far too late to undo the damage that has been done because aging adults often live alone and frequently live very insulated and isolated lives.