Texas residents like you face many potential health complications after a brain injury. Some of these issues fade on their own with time. Others can heal after treatment. But some complications may last for months, years or even a lifetime.
Most of the well-known impacts are physical in nature. But a brain injury can affect your mental health, too. It can even affect your personality in big ways.
Changes in behavior and emotion after a TBI
Mayo Clinic discusses the impact of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) on a victim. The emotional and behavioral impacts of a TBI are not discussed as often as physical impacts. But they are just as prevalent. They can do as much long-term damage.
The type of behavioral and emotional impacts you face depend on the location of the TBI. Certain areas of the brain control certain functions. For example, the frontal lobe helps control your impulses. If that area suffers from damage, your self-control also suffers. If you have a frontal lobe injury, you may find yourself acting in a rash and reckless manner. You may also find yourself prone to easier and stronger agitation.
Permanent damage after brain swelling
Brain swelling is also an issue. Like any other injured area, the brain also swells when damaged. But swelling in the brain can create serious issues for you. This is because the brain only has so much space to expand. If it expands too far, it may hit the skull. This will create pressure on the area, denying it oxygen. This leads to cell death and brain damage. This damage can have permanent altering affects on your personality, too, including increased irritability and anger.