Brain Injury

Brain injuries include trauma from a blow to the head, violent head movements, and damage caused by a stroke. Board-certified neurologist Paul Gill, MD, at Gill Neuroscience in Houston, Texas, specializes in brain injuries, including stroke care. He performs a comprehensive assessment and provides cutting-edge treatment to restore mental and physical function. Call Gill Neuroscience today for more information on brain injury recovery or request an appointment by completing the online booking form.

What is a brain injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when you sustain a blow to your head or your head moves violently back and forth, forcing your brain against the inside of your skull. You can also suffer brain injuries during a stroke, which occurs when something cuts off the blood supply to your brain.

Problems brain injuries cause include:

• Bruising (cerebral contusions)
• Bleeding in the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage)
• Bleeding around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
• Bleeding under the skull (hematoma)
• Fluid around the brain (hydrocephalus)
• Torn or stretched nerves

Concussion, a mild to moderate trauma from hitting your head, is the most common traumatic brain injury. Moderate to severe brain injuries could cause a skull fracture and/or life-threatening brain damage.

What symptoms do brain injuries cause?

The damage you suffer from a brain injury depends on its cause and severity. Concussions don’t always result in loss of consciousness, but if you pass out, it’s usually for seconds and no more than a few minutes. In contrast, moderate to severe brain injuries can cause six or more hours of unconsciousness. Coma and death are possible with the worst injuries.

Other symptoms brain injuries cause include:

• Headache
• Seizures
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Difficulty focusing
• Slurred speech
• Problems sleeping

Strokes typically cause muscle weakness affecting one half of the body and an inability to talk or understand others.

How are brain injuries treated?

After a concussion, you must rest your mind and body so your brain has time to heal. You likely won’t need any treatment unless you develop new symptoms or your condition worsens.

A moderate to severe brain injury requires hospitalization. Doctors need to observe your condition and may need to perform tests and procedures to assess the damage. Sometimes patients with brain injuries need surgery to:

• Stop bleeding in the brain
• Reduce pressure inside the skull
• Destroy or remove a blood clot
• Repair a skull fracture

Medications are also likely to be necessary. Dr. Gill monitors your condition to ensure you don’t suffer any complications like swelling or hematomas (blood pockets).

Many people benefit from rehabilitation after a brain injury. This could involve learning to walk, talk, and feed yourself, physical therapy to regain strength, and help adapting to any disabilities.

Call Gill Neuroscience today or book an appointment online to learn more about brain injuries and the treatments available.