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In Canada, one of the top causes of death and disability are traumatic brain injuries or TBI’s as they are sometimes referred to. Motor vehicle accidents along with slip or trip and fall accidents account for 55% of all TBI cases. In 70% of these cases, fatigue is a symptom associated with the resulting injury. Fatigue is often attributed to the brain not working properly. Consequently, it is harder to focus or concentrate and there is little if any energy for family members, hobbies, or sports.
TBI-related fatigue occurs when the brain’s neural connections cannot send messages to other areas of the body. This can adversely affect a person’s mental, physical, and psychological functions. However, traumatic brain injuries are not the sole cause of chronic fatigue. For instance, TBI’s can also cause or lead to:
• anemia
• breathing problems
• depression
• medication abuse
• pain
• a sedentary lifestyle
• stress
Naturally, some of these may be ruled out through clinical testing. Unfortunately, there is no accepted form of testing or testing procedures for proving whether or not a TBI is a direct cause of fatigue.
Consequences of Fatigue
Fatigue results when the brain has been injured and must work harder to perform its normal functions. Simple daily tasks such as going for a walk uses more mental energy because you have to pay attention to every step you take. While it once was easy to talk on the phone and watch a movie at the same time, you might have to focus on one or the other because you are unable to do both. Instead of remembering everything on your mental calendar, you have to write it all down and check every task repeatedly.
Mental, Physical, and Psychological Fatigue
In addition to these consequences, mental, physical, and psychological fatigue are common symptoms of a TBI as follows:
Mental fatigue – even after the slightest mental activity, many injury victims can only concentrate or focus on something for short periods of time followed by longer periods of resting the brain.
Physical fatigue – individuals who’ve suffered a TBI struggle to work and are plagued by tremendous physical fatigue when they do.
Psychological fatigue – prolonged periods of mental or physical fatigue can adversely impact your quality of life and lead to psychological fatigue.
As a result, it’s important to seek legal counsel by a personal injury lawyer in Sarnia after suffering a traumatic brain injury, especially if you’re trying to prove a chronic fatigue disability and be compensated for it. Additionally, you can talk about the details of the case with the lawyer, to get further information about the claim process.