Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) also called "acquired brain injury" or simply "head injury" occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. Symptoms of mild TBI include headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, a bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. Persons with more severe TBI can have these symptoms but can also experience a headache that gets worse or doesn’t go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

An estimate by the Rand Corporation placed 320,000 current or former combat troops as among those that may have suffered a brain injury. IED explosions are a major reason for TBI among the ground troops in Iraq. There is data to suggest that some individuals with TBI symptoms might really be suffering from PTSD.

The vast majority of brain injuries, or concussions suffered in combat are mild but previous estimates by the military indicate one-fifth of brain injuries cause symptoms that last a year or more. The worst symptoms appear in soldiers who lost consciousness.

It is important to file a disability claim with VA if you have experienced a head injury in service and suffer from any of these symptoms. This is true even if you have not yet been diagnosed with TBI. You should keep a log regarding your symptoms so you can relate this information to VA as your claim is developed. Contact us to see if we can help you develop the claim if it is denied by VA.