Each year, around 1.4 million people in the UK attend hospital following a head injury, of which 135,000 will be admitted because of the severity of the injury. It is the foremost cause of death and disability in young people and children and is the largest cause of acquired disability in the UK today in the working age population. Rehab UK, Brain Injury, Injury, braininjury, brain injury, I
Brain injuries or an acquired brain injury can be the result of a traumatic injury such as a road traffic accident or an assault to a medical problem such as a stroke.
The common effects of a brain injury include:
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Physical (loss of co-ordination; difficulty with speech; loss of sight, smell or taste; muscle rigidity; fatigue)
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Cognitive (memory and concentration problems; loss of initiative; unable to deal with noisy or stressful environments)
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Behavioural (anger management problems; depression; loss of motivation; anxiety)
The impact of such injuries is that over 80% of those sustaining brain injuries, or a severe brain injury will remain unemployed after five years, and without intervention will have an 85% chance of lifetime unemployment as a result of their injuries.
It's not just those who sustain an injury that are affected but a much wider circle of people including families and carers, who are placed under immense emotional strain and who will also have to learn about the effects of brain injury and the support available to manage the consequences.
Relatives report that the 10 most difficult problems they experience are:
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Personality changes
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Slowness
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Poor memory
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Irritability
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Bad temper
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Tiredness
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Depression
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Rapid mood changes
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Tension and anxiety
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Threats of violence
Rehab UK supports people who have left hospital following a brain injury and their families to understand the effects of the injury and also, crucially, how to manage those effects in a way that enables people to move forward in their lives with renewed independence and confidence. To find out what support we provide, click here.
Rehab UK, Brain Injury, Injury, braininjury, brain injury
Rehab UK Registered Office: Birmingham Brain Injury Centre, 58-72 John Bright Street, Birmingham, B1 1BN Company Registration No. 3005672, Registered Charity No. 1043839 
