Traumatic brain injury (TBI) sounds serious, and it can be. However, the word “traumatic” refers to the way the brain was injured, typically by a violent blow, and not necessarily the severity of the injury itself.
TBI can be classified as mild or moderate. Mild traumatic brain injury typically causes temporary symptoms. Though temporary, mild TBI symptoms can still have a big impact on your quality of life.
Symptoms of Mild Brain Injury
Suffering from a mild brain injury can impact your physical, cognitive, and psychological function. You may look fine on the outside but still be symptomatic several weeks or months after the injury. Some of the most common symptoms of a mild TBI include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness/fatigue
- Nausea/vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Strange taste in the mouth
- Loss of consciousness (several seconds to several minutes)
- Feeling dazed, disoriented
- Problems concentrating or remembering
- Mood swings
- Changes in sleeping patterns
If you’re experiencing any of the above warning signs, seek medical advice. Treatments for mild TBI are effective, but it’s important that you understand your injury and take all of the necessary steps to ensure a full recovery.
Treatment Options for Mild Brain Injury
Self-management is one of the first steps for recovery from mild TBI. Rest, avoiding overexertion, and avoiding substances like caffeine, alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs other than prescribed medication will support other recovery efforts.
Recommended treatments can include:
- Immediate emergency care following injury
- Medication to manage pain and help with sleep
- Antianxiety or antidepressant medications
- Restorative therapies such as physical or occupational therapy
- Self-management
- Monitoring for an increase in symptoms
Surgery and other medical interventions to reduce bleeding or inflammation in the brain are only necessary with more serious brain injuries, not those diagnoses as mild.
Regenerative Medicine for TBI
Regenerative Medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, is a safe, non-surgical treatment for traumatic brain injury and other neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.
Though still considered experimental, delivering mesenchymal stem cells to targeted damaged cells in the brain offers the potential to regenerate new neurons and repair the pathways in the brain responsible for sending signals to the rest of the body.
Studies have shown that Regenerative Medicine not only holds the potential to help improve some TBI symptoms but also to eliminate them. By promoting new neuron growth, stem cell treatment is not a cure, but it can be used as another management option to possibly increase a patient’s energy levels, stabilize mood, and improve cognitive function. Continuing with traditional therapies while receiving stem cell treatment offers a full potential option for patients.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for TBI, also known as stem cells for traumatic brain injury. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.