Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a condition affecting the brain after a Tennessee injury. All age groups, sexes and ethnicities are at risk for TBI. Statistically, some demographics are at higher risk to suffer a head injury than others. The leading cause of traumatic brain injury leading to hospitalization is motor vehicle accidents.
In 1996, Congress passed the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996. This bill was passed to obtain more information about how, who, when and why brain injuries occur. Since the bill was passed nearly 20 years ago, Congress has compiled several statistics and trends related to TBI. Of the 1.5 million people who suffer TBI annually, 80,000 to 90,000 suffer a long term disability due to their injury.
Congress did refer to the TBI epidemic as the "invisible epidemic." This is due to the sheer financial, economical, and emotional burden sufferers of TBI and their families endure because of this type of injury. It is described as invisible because many of those directly unaffected by traumatic brain injury are unaware of the persisting struggles a person and a family affected by TBI suffer. According to Congress, "The long-term impairments and disabilities associated with TBI are grave and the full human cost is incalculable."
The value of this data collected by the Center for Disease Control is very important. When statistics about how, when, why and who are sustaining brain injuries is collected, it can help pinpoint either how to prevent these injuries from happening, or how to best treat them in the future. At the very least, it gives insight into the struggles that millions face everyday relating to their TBI. Traumatic Brain Injury is a serious condition that should not be taken lightly.
Source: CDC.gov, "Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States, A Report to Congress," accessed on Jan. 4, 2015