All brain injuries are serious and deserve immediate medical attention. Even a brain injury that is classified as minor, such as a minor concussion, can have serious symptoms that interfere with your daily life until your brain has healed. Most accidents cause what are known as traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs. These stem from sources of external trauma, such as a blow or bump to the skull.
Types of TBIs include:
Concussion
Contusion or bruising
Penetrating injury
Swelling (edema)
Hemorrhaging or bleeding
Diffuse-axonal injury
Coup-contrecoup injury
There are also acquired brain injuries (ABIs), which stem from problems within the body. Examples include hypoxic and anoxic brain injuries, which arise from a lack of oxygen to the brain. TBIs and ABIs can cause a wide variety of debilitating symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, loss of balance, memory loss, confusion, trouble concentrating, blurred vision, sensory changes, nausea and vomiting, mood changes, nightmares, cognitive issues, and permanent disability.