- Power Of Patients
How Health Tracking Is Helping Us Understand Traumatic Brain Injuries
Feb 22, 2023 1:28:15 PM
In the United States, 1.7 million people have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The effect on someone's life after a brain injury is profound. It affects their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being.
Healthcare providers and caregivers must understand the effects of TBI to provide the best care. This is where health tracking comes into play. Advancements in technology have made it possible for individuals with TBI to track their symptoms and health on a daily basis.
What Is Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic Brain Injury is an injury that affects the brain. It is often the result of a blow to the head caused by a fall, car accident, or sports injury. The impact can cause the brain to move around inside the skull, causing damage to the brain cells and tissues.
Treatment for TBI often involves a combination of medical care and rehabilitation. Support from family and friends is also important. Some may need ongoing care and support to manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Individuals who have experienced a blow to the head must seek medical attention immediately. Damage can occur even if they do not feel symptoms right away.
Early diagnosis and treatment can help to prevent the situation from getting worse. It also helps improve outcomes for individuals with TBI.
Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury effects can last for a long time and have long-term consequences. Some common effects of TBI include:
Physical Effects
TBI can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. It can also result in physical impairments such as difficulty with balance and coordination, and muscle weakness.
Cognitive Effects
TBI can affect cognitive function, including memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. They may also experience difficulty with language, perception, and communication.
Emotional Effects
TBI can also have a significant impact on an individual's emotional well-being. They may experience the following symptoms:
Mood changes
Anxiety
Depression
Difficulties with social interaction and relationships
Long-Term Effects
TBI can also result in long-term effects, such as ongoing physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. It increases the risk for neurological conditions like:
Parkinson's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Depression
What Is a TBI Tracker?
A TBI tracker is a tool that can assist in monitoring and managing the symptoms of TBI, including changes in cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning. These symptoms can vary greatly from person to person and can change over time, making it difficult to diagnose and treat TBI effectively.
The lack of a definitive diagnosis or treatment for TBI means that people with TBI often rely on a combination of medical and non-medical treatments to manage their symptoms.
For example, they may undergo physical therapy to improve physical function. Cognitive therapy helps to improve thinking and memory, and counseling helps manage emotional distress.
In some cases, medications may be prescribed to manage specific symptoms, such as headaches or depression. Some people with TBI may benefit from assistive devices, such as hearing aids or speech-generating devices, to improve communication.
A TBI tracker is an essential tool because it allows individuals to track changes in their symptoms over time. It helps to identify patterns and trends which can be used to adjust treatment plans and track progress.
The use of a TBI tracker can also be beneficial for healthcare providers. They can use the information to inform their clinical decision-making and to monitor the effectiveness of treatments over time.
While there is no cure for TBI. The use of a TBI tracker can help individuals and their healthcare providers work together to manage symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Benefits of Health Tracking for TBI
Health tracking technology has become a valuable tool for individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury. It offers many benefits for individuals with TBI and their caregivers. These include:
Improved Understanding of Symptoms
Health tracking technologies allow individuals with TBI to track their symptoms on a daily basis. They can then share this information with their healthcare providers.
This information can help to identify patterns and trends in symptoms. It helps individuals and their providers to better understand the effects of TBI.
Better Communication with Healthcare Providers
It improves communication between individuals with TBI and their healthcare providers. This sharing of information helps them receive more comprehensive care and improves their quality of life.
Early Identification of Trends
It can help to identify changes in symptoms and health early on. This allows for early intervention and adjustments to treatment plans.
Early intervention helps prevent the situation from getting worse. It also improves outcomes for individuals with TBI.
Improved Care Coordination
Health tracking technologies can also help to coordinate care between different healthcare providers. This improved coordination can lead to a more comprehensive approach to treatment.
Increased Awareness for Caregivers
It can also provide valuable information for caregivers of individuals with TBI. By tracking symptoms and health, caregivers have a better understanding of their loved one's condition. This helps them provide more informed support.
How Health Tracking Works
Health tracking technologies come in many forms. These include wearable devices, mobile apps, and web-based platforms. The technologies allow individuals to track various aspects of their health, including:
Physical symptoms
Mood
Sleep patterns
Medication usage
One can input data into their health-tracking device or app. The technology generates a report that they can share with their healthcare providers. This report provides a comprehensive view of the individual's health which helps to identify patterns and trends.
Nobody knows when an accident can happen, but there are certain steps to help you recover and return to your old self. These steps include:
Seeing a certified physician
Getting a proper diagnosis
Tracking any symptoms
Being kind to your body and mind
All these become achievable with the help of Sallie® from Power of Patients.
Meet Sallie
Sallie® aims to assist you by being an easy-to-use and free symptom-tracking dashboard. The robust data collection approach includes many symptoms for our users to track.
By using Sallie®, you are taking the necessary steps for care and further prevention of traumatic brain Injuries. Whether you are somehow involved in sports or you know someone suffering from any type of brain injury, know that Power of Patient’s Sallie® is at your fingertips. Register for Sallie® today.