A worker can suffer a work-related head injury in a number of ways. Debris could fall on his or her head or the worker could slip and fall on a wet floor. And while the recovery from a head injury can cause a lot of complications both professionally and personally, a head injury can cause another type of injury: a brain injury.
A brain injury can lead to even more problems, sometimes causing memory loss, loss of mobility, and even inability to communicate. Even more difficult is recovering from a brain injury, especially if the injury was severe. Now new research is showing that a brain injury can also increase the victim’s risk of suffering a stroke.
Researchers believe that the increase in the risk of a stroke could be attributed to many of the injuries that are associated with a traumatic brain injury. These often include:
- Fractured skull
- Bleeding in the brain
- Blood clotting
- Other cardiac injuries
The study also looked at thousands of brain injury victims and compared them with people who have not suffered a traumatic brain injury. The data showed that the risk of stroke was greater for brain injury victims in the years immediately after the injury. Researchers found that the risk decreased as time went on.
While a direct correlation between traumatic brain injuries and strokes has not been established, it is still clear that suffering a traumatic brain injury can lead to more serious health problems.
Workers who suffer a brain injury because of a work accident may be at risk of suffering a stroke as well. This means more medical expenses and more time off work, ultimately causing a strain in finances. But workers who are injured on-the-job can claim workers’ compensation benefits that can help during the recovery period.
Source: USA Today online, “Brain injury may boost stroke risk,” Steven Reinberg, 01 August 2011
