Life With Brain Trauma...Can You Do Anything About It?
Published by Mark Dewar on 2010-07-12 17:18:06
Brain trauma is any injury to the brain which can cause problems for the patient. Trauma to the brain can cause a range of symptoms from concussion right through to coma, paralysis and death. Like any other part of the body, the brain can swell and bruise when hurt in any way. But unlike the rest of the body where such blows tend to cause local problems, blows to the head are far more dangerous because the brain affects the entire body.
Brain trauma causes a multitude of problems including the fact that swelling leads to a reduction in blood flow to this delicate area of the body. A reduced blood flow will deprive the brain of precious oxygen, causing brain cells to die. In some cases, the ensuing damage to the brain is irreversible.
What can follow is any number of problems including:
· Paralysis
· Loss of eyesight or other senses
· Memory problems
· Change in behavior
· Mood swings
· Depression
· Sleep problems
· Migraines
· Loss of libido
· Inability to mix with people
· Other functional problems in the body
Brain trauma can be very distressing, particularly if it affects your ability to return to normal life. Some patients have found it impossible to return to jobs and mix with people because aside from all their symptoms, they lose their confidence and feel anxious and scared all the time.
There are ways to get around these problems though, and having a brain injury does not mean that you cannot resume some sense of normality. This is particularly true of patients suffering from memory problems. These patients are unsure of themselves because they cannot remember much and as such, tend to withdraw socially.
However, research conducted at the London Met in the UK has found that brain training games can seriously help patients with memory problems caused by brain injuries. This is because research has found that brain training can actually reverse memory loss. Patients who spent just 15 minutes a day to complete brain training exercises were able to improve their memory to the point where they were confident enough to be able to live independent lives.
Brain training works by increasing and strengthening the connections between the brain cells and helping to promote the growth of new cells. Dr Simon Moore from the London Met study found that the improvements in memory using brain training were significant enough to warrant using these techniques as part of treatment plans for all patients suffering with a brain injury.
This is positive news for all those patients whose lives have been affected by trauma. Brain training is not a new finding – scientists have known about the benefits of brain training for years, but until recently, there was no definitive proof that it could help brain injured patients.
Patients with memory problems in general are encouraged to undertake a brain training program daily to help improve their memory and prevent a further decline in their cognitive abilities. Along with some simple lifestyle changes such as consuming oily fish three times a week, taking up regular exercise and making the effort to learn new skills, brain training gives people an excellent head start in helping them to take charge of their problems and improve their lives in a positive, drug-free way.