Every service member, veteran, and family member should have a general knowledge of the symptoms and signs of brain injury, which can often go undetected.

Here we offer easy-to-recognize symptoms, general facts, and an explanation of three different types of traumatic brain injury (TBI) affecting our military family:

Mild TBI (concussions)

are the result of a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the function of the brain.

• Usually followed by a state of disorientation or memory loss that should subside within one day
• Loss of consciousness can last for up to a half hour
• CT or MRI scans usually produce “normal” results
• Headache, confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, 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 

Moderate TBI has some of the same symptoms as a concussion, but they usually last for longer periods of time.

• Disorientation and memory loss usually last for longer than one day but less than one week
• Loss of consciousness lasts for longer than 30 minutes but less than one day \
• Can also suffer any of the following: headaches that do not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
• CT and MRI scans can produce “normal” or “abnormal” results  

Severe TBI often happens when an object or explosion violently hits the head, or when an object or projectile pierces the skull.

• Disorientation and loss of consciousness last for longer than one day
• Memory loss lasts longer than one week.
• CT and MRI scans can produce “normal” or “abnormal” results
• Severe TBI can and often does include many of the symptoms presented by both mild and moderate TBI 

If you are a service member or veteran and believe you may have sustained a concussion/mild TBI, the Defense Veterans Brain Injury Center can help. Call them at 1.800.870.9244.

It’s Brain Injury Awareness Month, and the Military Health System’s partner organizations offer an abundance of resources regarding brain injury prevention, protection, and diagnosis. Visit our brain injury page at health.mil/braininjury to find more information from the following centers dedicated to TBI prevention and research:

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center

Deployment Health Clinical Center

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke