There are a number of complications that are associated with suffering a head injury, and one of these, according to a new study, is an increased chance of dying, with the risk having doubled over a period of 3 decades.
We know of some of the more common consequences of head injury including memory loss, attention and concentration difficulties, and cognitive deficits. Head injuries have also been linked to other long-term disabilities including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, early onset dementia and stroke. All of these are long term consequences can seriously impact the quality of a person’s life.
However, there is one serious consequence of a head injury that does not attract as much attention – the effect of the brain injury on the person’s life expectancy. A new study probed the effects of a head injury on a person’s life expectancy, and found that a head injury could increase the risk of death over a period of 30 years. In some cases, the risk of death increased by two or even three times the risk without a head injury.
The study used data collected over a period of 30 years, and focused on 13,000 persons with a brain injury. The researchers found that death occurred in 65% of the cases over the 30 year-period in those with a brain injury, compared to 55% of those who had not suffered a brain injury. In the case of persons who had suffered the injury, the risk of death was approximately 2.8 times greater than in those who had not suffered any head injury.
The study focused on all types of causes of death, and found that while these persons suffered from any numbers of causes including cancer, heart disease and neurological trauma, the risk of dying due to neurological trauma including falls seemed to be higher among persons who had previously suffered a head injury, compared to persons who had not suffered any kind of head injury.
The risk of death also seemed to be higher in those persons who had suffered multiple head injuries or serious head injuries. Persons who died from neurological causes including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, dementia or stroke were also much more likely to have suffered head injuries with 14% of the patients with a head injury suffering from these conditions, compared to those without a head injury.
More than 23 million Americans above the age of 40 have a history of head injury. Many head injuries occur in auto accidents, bicycle accidents and motorcycle accidents. Wearing a helmet can significantly reduce your risks of suffering a head injury while riding a motorcycle or bicycle, while wearing seat belts can reduce your risk of suffering from head trauma in a car accident.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.