Traumatic brain injuries often lead to lifelong hardship. Falls cause more traumatic brain injuries than any other event or accident, and your risk of suffering a serious head injury in a fall often increases as you age.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you may face a heightened risk of falling and suffering a head injury while getting out of bed or taking a bath. Falls from ladders and staircases are also frequent causes of traumatic brain injuries, and particularly among older adults.
Cognitive complications associated with brain injury
When your fall causes a brain injury, the injury may slow your thinking process or cause complications with memory, reasoning and learning ability. It may, too, hinder your problem-solving skills, affect your decision-making ability or make it more difficult for you to finish the things you start.
You may also have a hard time communicating with others following a brain injury. Your verbal skills may suffer, and you may also find it difficult to put your thoughts into words in a way others understand.
Physical complications associated with brain injury
A brain injury may also take a serious toll on your body. Some head injuries lead to frequent headaches. Others may lead to infections, seizures, dizziness, blood vessel damage or fluid buildup within the brain.
Depending on where you experience your brain injury, you may also lose some of the sensation or movement within your face. Known as cranial nerve damage, this is often the result of injuries that occur at the base of the skull. Some who experience brain injuries in falls also experience hearing loss or vision problems in the aftermath.
