When the COVID Pandemic Meets a Silent Epidemic– Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Over 50 million people worldwide experience a concussion or TBI each year, yet there is little attention given to their evaluation and treatment. In these times of uncertainty, many of these individuals are left feeling insecure and frightened.
Here is what a stay at home order means to a brain injury survivor.
The other day, I was treating a patient with TBI, Nancy, in my clinic and what she said resonated with me. She shared her experiences during this pandemic, and how the stay at home order has been affecting her. Nancy stated, “I live in an apartment with my mother and twin 12-year-old brothers with whom I share a room. They have no clue as to what I am going through. My brothers have no boundaries. The TV is always blasting, they are constantly arguing and fighting, and are often on the computer until to 2 or 3 AM.”
One of Nancy’s difficulties after her concussion, was trouble handling noises and lights. With her family being home all at once, she has been experiencing overstimulation. This has been causing her even more discomfort and the progress made managing her symptoms difficult.
Nancy continued, “As it stands, I have difficulties falling asleep at night due to my racing thoughts, to where I cannot shut down my brain. I get only about 3 hours of sleep per night and in the daytime, there is so much stimulation at home I still cannot shut down for even a moment.” The recommended amount of sleep needed for an adult to function at their best, is around 7-9 hours. Oftentimes people can function with less, but for someone like Nancy, who’s brain has been injured, these hours of sleep are crucial for normal body cycles.
“My mom is a Kindergarten teacher and teaches class on Zoom. When the speakers are on, which they typically are, I can hear all the children and the different voices drive me crazy. With the corona virus stay at home order, I have no place to go. I’ve even been having flashbacks of being back in the hospital after my head injury, where I felt extremely trapped.”
For individuals with injury to the frontal lobe of the brain, the number one cognitive (thinking) dysfunction is difficulties with paying attention. When there is excessive stimulation, persons with concussion and TBI have trouble processing everything around them. With sleep deprivation, as in the case of Nancy, one’s ability to focus, pay attention, complete tasks, maintain their energy level and feel balanced is severely compromised.
If you live with, or have a friend that has a concussion or TBI, please, be sensitive. Many of these individuals are struggling with their symptoms and will need help and understanding during the COVID -19 stay at home experience and even afterwards.
Stay safe, stay informed.
You can read more about this and many more stories of patients in my upcoming book Concussion Traumatic Brain Injury – From Head to Tail, coming out shortly.
(Names have been changed for privacy reasons)
