A new study shows that military veterans who suffered from a traumatic brain injury continue to suffer with headaches for years after the traumatic brain injury occurred. Traumatic brain injuries are caused by a variety of sources, and are a common occurrence in the military. The study assessed the health of 172 veterans who were deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq between 2 and 11 years before the study began, and half of them experienced a traumatic brain injury while they were deployed.
The study assessed the severity of the headaches that were experienced by the veterans, and found that close to 75% who had experienced a traumatic brain injury were experiencing severe or disabling headaches, compared to 25% of veterans who had not experienced a traumatic brain injury.
A disabling headache is one where sufferers are no longer able to complete many normal daily functions and often find themselves bedridden. A Severe headache is one where sufferers’ activities are reduced by 50% – 90% and they are only able to complete the most basic of tasks.
More than 330,000 American Veterans have experienced a traumatic brain injury, and the on-going detrimental impacts are notable. The injuries are continuing to cause negative impacts for the veterans and their families, and is a continuing source of disability. Since the exact relationship between traumatic brain injury and the headaches is still unknown, and that the headaches continue for so long, researchers think that the traumatic brain injury remains active or produces permanent changes in the brain.
More research is needed to determine what the link is between the traumatic brain injuries and chronic headaches. For both civilians who experience a traumatic brain injury, and for our military veterans, the long term negative impact on the quality of life needs additional research.
If you or someone you know has experienced a traumatic brain injury, the compassionate and experienced personal injury attorneys at the Alexander Law Group, LLP will be with you every step of the way. Our goal is to help our clients and their families receive proper compensation for their pain and suffering. You can reach one of our San Francisco personal injury attorneys at 888.777.1776, or you can contact us online.
