*If you have a concussion, find a family member or friend to read this post for you.

Should you get nothing else out of this post, take this brain injury advice from Kili Monster- NAP.  Nap long, nap often, nap anywhere.

According to the CDC, there are 2.8 million traumatic brain injuries every year in the United States. The vast majority are concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI). Of these, 15%, or 375,000 people will have long-term symptoms. Unfortunately, some experts wonder if this number is actually much higher, and simply not recognized or reported. The biggest problem facing this population of people is not getting the help they need. This is due to three factors. The first is not knowing that help is available, the second is finding that help, and the third is paying for treatment.

Common Symptoms After A Concussion & TBI life hacks

Headache – ice packs on the head or neck, Advil/Tylenol, or prescription medications as needed.

Fatigue – this can be overwhelming. Sleep as much as possible. Nap frequently, because unlike what you might normally do, this is not fatigue that you can push through. It will keep getting worse.

Dizziness – see the next section about vestibular therapy, and start this as soon as possible!

Nausea – try mints or ginger chews. Put them in your car, your pockets, or purse, carry them everywhere.

Light sensitivity – you may have trouble with bright lights, flashing or flickering lights, fluorescent lights, and the blue tint of LED lights. Dimmer switches can be installed in areas of your home, or simply remove some lightbulbs. Wear a hat and dark glasses, even indoors. You can look into special tinted glasses. Turn down the brightness and contrast on your computer and phone. Dry eye is very common and can make your eyes even more sensitive. You may need eye drops or lubricants to help with the discomfort.

Sound sensitivity – even normal sounds, like the humming of appliances can produce anxiety. White noise may or may not help. Musician ear filters, custom ear filters from an audiologist, or noise-canceling headphones or earbuds can be lifesavers. Buying factory refurbished headphones from Bose can save money, and they look brand new.

Cognitive deficits – you may struggle with memory, word-finding, decision-making, and problem-solving. Even simple decisions like what to wear can become impossible. Make lists, and break down tasks into smaller tasks. Plan ahead! Get more strategies and exercises from a cognitive therapist.

Emotional changes – depression, anxiety, sadness, and anger are all very common. Controlling your moods can be difficult. If the people around you understand this, they may be more understanding of these mood swings. Talking to a counselor and/or finding a support group can go a long way in helping to navigate all the changes in your life.

Sleep disturbances – some people sleep more and some struggle with insomnia. The latter can impede healing, as your brain recovers and heals during sleep. Spend at least an hour before bed avoiding screens, reading, or anything stimulating. Try stretching, meditating, or deep breathing. Melatonin, Sleepytime Tea, valerian, are all things that can be tried. CBD oil can help, and there are marijuana varieties that are legal in some states. If sleep still evades you (I once had a 5 night stretch with zero sleep, and that was easily the most depressed and desperate I have ever been), talk with your doctor about prescription medications.

***Now, if you have a concussion I want you to stop reading and take at least a 5-minute break with your eyes closed before you continue reading. Seriously. Stop and give your brain a break. Go take a nap. You NEED to learn to do this consistently. Come back tomorrow if you need to.

 

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Overstimulation or Brain Crashing

A few words on overstimulation – your brain can only handle a limited amount at one time, and over the day. Crowds, shopping, talking, reading, computer, TV, or phone screen time, driving, music; these are all things that can lead to overstimulation. It can be too much for your brain to process, and so it will simply shut off, and your ability to accomplish anything will be out the window. Think of your brain as a battery. If you are well-rested and have a fully charged battery, you might be able to tolerate a little more stimulation, but if you have already worn down your battery, everything will be harder. Your symptoms may become worse immediately, hours later, or even the next day. Set a timer to limit the amount of time you work on a task, and then take a break. The amount of time varies per individual, it may be 5 minutes or 30 minutes. Plan to accomplish only one or two things per day. Seriously. Do not schedule a full day of activities. Did I mention you should take a nap?

Post Injury Treatments

Most people are sent home from the ER or doctor’s office and told to rest and they will be better in 2-4 weeks. I was one of those people. If you are one of the “lucky” ones that don’t get better, many primary care providers, and YES even neurologists, don’t know how to direct further treatment. The following is a checklist on what treatment should be pursued within the first few weeks.

1. Vestibular therapy – Some physical therapists specialize in vestibular therapy. They provide treatment to help improve balance and dizziness, and since vision plays a key role in balance, they work with that as well.
2. Cognitive therapy – speech and language pathologists can test to see where your main cognitive deficits are, and provide exercises to work on word finding, memory, executive functioning (planning and decision-making), and more.
3. Massage, acupuncture and/or chiropractic – most brain injuries also include trauma to other parts of the body, like the neck, which can lead to ongoing pain.
4. Dentist – facial pain from chronic jaw clenching is quite common. Seeing a dentist for a mouth splint can help relieve this pain.
5. Optometrist or neuro-optometrist – not just any will do, finding someone who works with traumatic brain injury is important. They can provide vision testing, as well as prism lenses to help with visual tracking issues, and special rose-tinted lenses to help with light sensitivity. Vision therapy is something your optometrist may recommend down the road if you have visual deficits.
6. *If your injury was the result of a car accident, or there is pending litigation, you may need to pursue neuropsychological assessment. Because this can make symptoms much worse, I recommend waiting as long as possible to pursue this.

It can be challenging to find the right providers. Decision-making and task initiation can be a problem for many of us. Send this post to a spouse, partner, family member, or friend, and ask them to help you FIND these providers, SCHEDULE appointments and ARRANGE rides so you can get there. If you do not have help, you can try contacting your local chapter of the Brain Injury Alliance. They have case managers that may be able to assist.

Now for the bad news – your health insurance is unlikely to pay for many of these treatments. Vestibular therapy is considered physical therapy, so that is typically covered as long as you find someone in-network. It may feel awkward, but you can ask a friend to set up a GoFundMe page. A little bit from friends and family can go a long way towards getting the treatments you need to recover. Asking for help can be hard, but for many of us, it is the only way to get treatment.

***Time for another brain break. Take a nap, or at least 5 minutes with your eyes closed.

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A Few Helpful Brain Tips

Grocery stores are awful. With so many items on shelves, colors, labels, signs, and fluorescent lights; grocery store paralysis is a recognized problem. Feelings of confusion, disorientation, and anxiety are very common. I recommend avoiding the store for a few weeks at least, and when you decide to give it a try, go with someone and plan to buy one or two things at the most.

Changes in barometric pressure can incite symptoms – wind, rain, and snow or any storm can do it. On that note, the movement of falling snow can be very disorienting.

Take as much time off work as possible. Give your brain a chance to heal. This can be hard, but going back too soon can lead to further delays in recovery, and you might get back to work faster if you give yourself more time off, to begin with.

On the subject of driving, I recommend you don’t. Give yourself some time as a passenger to see if you can maintain focus on the road before you get behind the wheel. For more on the subject, check out this post.

It is recommended that you avoid alcohol, eat a lower-carb diet, get plenty of healthy fats, and stay away from sugar. That being said, a little shot of Coke was the only thing that got me through some days.

What Should You Do All Day?

Have I mentioned napping? You need to sleep, or at least rest with your eyes closed. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts. Try this for short periods of time at first to see if you can tolerate the sound. Work in the garden. Color. Yes, I said color.  Get a coloring book, crayons or colored pencils. It can be quite soothing. I planned one task and one “social” event every day. This might mean vacuuming and a phone call with a friend, or on bad days it could be as simple as taking a shower, putting on “real” clothes, and sending a text to someone.

Walk, do yoga, meditate. After the first couple of weeks of rest, go outside and get moving. Avoid any high-intensity exercise until your doctor clears you to get your heart rate above 120 bpm. Continuing to spend all day hiding in the dark will not help you recover. While you should continue to nap frequently, being more active will improve your mood and help combat the depression that is so common. Even just sitting outside in the sunshine for a bit can make a difference.

Above all, be patient. You cannot force your brain to heal any faster. There is no treatment, supplement, or medication that will provide a “cure”. Be skeptical of anyone that promises otherwise.  Everyone recovers at different rates, and there is no way to predict how long it will take. Your symptoms are real, and millions of people are going through the same thing. It will get better. It may be weeks, months, or for some people even years, but it will get better. You will have days that feel good and then everything will come crashing down again. Over time the bad days won’t be as bad, and the good days will be even better. Don’t give up. We are all in this together.

For those that are further along the road of recovery and looking for more therapeutic options, check out this post.

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-Kristin