Question

describe the impact of acquired brain injury in canada.include a minimum of 3 details with supporting information

Answer 1

Acquired brain injury is the term which is used to describe differnt types of brain injury which can occur anytime in any person’s life after birth. It is also called - traumatic brain injury, even though an acquired brain injury may include damage caused by a stroke or illness but traumatic brain injury does not includes that.

An ABI might affect one or many parts of the brain.The Severity of ABI can range from a mild concussion with a limited long-term effects to a permanent disability or sometimes even death.

So to sum up, Acquired Brain Injury(ABI) refers to any damage to the brain that occurs after birth .Causes of ABI include seizures, tumors,traumatic injury, an events where the brain has been deprived of oxygen due to infectious diseases or any toxic exposure such as substance abuse.

At present situation Acquired Brain Injury has impacted about 1.5 million Canadians, and every year about 160,000 people experience an acquired brain injury. These rates have continue to rise as more Canadians are experiencing and also reporting incidents of Acquired Brain Injury.

There are high number of people impacted by acquired brain injuries than that of combined numbers of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury . The effects also extend to all those living with and caring for people with ABIs.

It is the mission of Brain Injury Canada to enhance the quality of life for all these 1.5 million+ Canadians, their families, and caregivers through awareness, education, research and advocacy.

The Impact of a an acquired brain injury can be seen immediately or it can increase or decrease over time. Every person will experience a different combination of challenges and changes.

1. Physical Changes

• Chronic pain, headaches
• Changes in vision
• Seizures, fluid increase in the brain, infections, damaged blood vessels in the brain, vertigo (sensation of dizziness/spinning/loss of balance)
• Fatigue, difficulties with sleeping, insomnia

2. Emotional Changes

• Feeling irritable, having a ‘short fuse’
• Showing a limited emotional response to situations ,Depression, anxiety, anger
• Prone to sudden, extreme emotions for no clear reason

3. Behavioral Changes

• Engaging in risky behavior, impulsive
• Lack of a ‘filter’, saying things that are inappropriate
• Change in role – often from being independent to relying on others for care and support
• Family breakdowns
• Isolating oneself
• Difficulty with social and work relationships
• Changing/inconsistent sleep patterns

4. Other Changes in thinking, learning, decision making

• Difficulty with concentrations, distracted easily
• Difficulty remembering things, learning, reasoning and judgment
• Needing more time to understand information
• Difficulty with making plans, organizing, or beginning tasks
• Vision problems
• Challenges with communicating: understanding conversations, finding the right word, speaking in proper sentences, understanding cues, making conversation
• Difficulty writing
• Difficulty making decisions