Brain Injury
Facts

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS ABOUT MILD BRAIN INJURY

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Myth #1 - Mild Brain Injury or concussion means the brain injury is not all that serious

Mild traumatic brain injuries and concussions are serious. At the time of diagnosis, the Glasgow Coma Scale is used by medical teams to indicate in medical terms the type of brain injury - severe, moderate, or mild.

This is misleading and can cause misconceptions about the severity of symptoms in mild-TBI and concussion patients. Whether a patient experienced a coma or unconsciousness immediately following a head injury does not measure the effects of mild brain injury symptoms over time.

Mild does not mean less serious. In fact, challenges and impairments experienced by individuals with a mild-TBI or concussion can have long-term effects several years following the injury.

Myth #2 - A concussion is just that, a concussion and not a brain injury

You may have heard the saying following a concussion, "Take Tylenol and get some rest. It takes about 6 months to fully recover." Wrong.

A concussion is a mild brain injury.

Myth #3 - Recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion takes 6 months

Several factors come into play when discussing recovery. It is not uncommon for additional symptoms to present themselves several days, weeks or months following a mild-TBI or concussion. Long term effects of these symptoms is better known as Post Concussion Syndrome.

Some symptoms may include:

- Vision changes

- Memory loss

- Changes in Executive Functioning
- Changes in sleep patterns

- Mood/Behavioral changes

- Depression
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Balance issues
- Post Traumatic Headaches

- Chronic Pain

*** Learn about mild-TBI symptoms in the DANGER ZONE.***

Get Informed

For more information about mild-TBI and concussion, Click here for guidance about mild brain injury and concussion from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

www.cdc.gov/mtbi_guidance

Access Factsheets about mild brain injury here

TBI Model Systems (TBI Factsheets)

www.msktc.org

Need Help?

Brain Injury Association of America
www.biausa.org

Brain Injury Resource Center

www.headinjury.com

Brain Trauma Foundation

www.braintrauma.org

American Stroke Association

www.stroke.org

Access Local Experts in TBI & Stroke Care