How the brain is affected in a car accident

A complex human system results in many ways one can be injured fatally in the event of a car crash. There are many vital organs one needs in order to live, and it is quite important that every part of the body is safe. Injuries sustained can lead to a plethora of complications that may not be able to be treated. Let’s start with the brain and how it can be injured amidst a car collision and what could happen to them.

The Brain

The brain is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of the bodies that is needed to live. Its function is integral as it allows one to think and process actions. It controls the body and is needed for actions to be thought out and executed. In the event of a car crash, it is quite likely for a person to experience a traumatic brain injury, known as a TBI. It is an injury to the brain caused by an external force, like a car accident.

The brain can either sustain a closed head or an open head injury. As the terms denote, closed head means that the skull has not been broken, while open head means the skull has been broken and the brain is no longer enclosed but open to the air around it.

Most car crashes result in a closed head injury. It results from a sudden stop from a high speed. Both the skull and brain are moving at a high speed when a sudden stop occurs which leads the brain to keep moving until it hits the skull. This can not only cause bruises to the brain known as contusions, but it can also lead to a brain hemorrhage where the brain actually starts bleeding.

Although not as common, open head injuries can occur as a result of the head hitting the windshield or the steering wheel when a car crash occurs and there is a sudden stop. It can break through the skull and leave the brain open to the outside. It may also be a result of the roof crushing above the passenger or even if the passenger flies through the windshield out of the car. This blunt trauma can be regarded as quite serious as it is an open wound rather than an enclosed one. Often, the injury sustained is localized, meaning that only one part of the brain is affected instead of the entire thing.