Like many people in Phoenix, you might think that concussions typically only result from serious accidents or high-impact sports collisions. Yet that is not the case. Indeed, according to information shared by Well Cornell Medicine, falls routinely rank among the most common non-sports-related causes of concussions.
In this context, “falls” does not simply refer to falls from heights, but from ground-level falls as well (the kind that occurs when one slips and falls). While a ground-level fall may not seem to have damaging potential, the aforementioned statistic shows that it can cause a traumatic brain injury.
Breaking down the Glasgow Coma Scale
When a loved one suffers a TBI, the first thing you want to know is what their long-term prognosis will be. Clinicians have a method of estimating this known as the Glasgow Coma Scale. This is a clinical observation test that measures a person’s responses to external stimuli following a TBI. Specifically, caretakers want to see how your loved one responds in the following areas:
- Eye movement
- Speech
- Motor skills
After completing their observations, caretakers then assign points in each individual response category and then summed to come up with an overall total. A score below eight indicates a severe head injury. Scores between nine and 12 are indicative of moderate brain injuries, while those above 13 indicate mild brain injuries.
What this might mean to you
Concussions typically fall into the category of mild brain injuries (as those who typically suffer have a high potential of recovery). Yet that recovery may not be complete. If your loved one does indeed sustain a concussion, it makes them more susceptible to brain injury in the future. Plus it could leave them dealing with cognitive deficits that could make it difficult (if not impossible) to return to their pre-injury routines.
