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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffPatience is the key to coping with brain injuries. Adults will experience the majority of their recovery during the first six months. You may continue to experience smaller, more gradual improvements for up to two years after the hematoma.
The following tips may help make for a smoother recovery:
- Get adequate sleep at night, and rest in the daytime whenever you feel tired.
- Ease back into your normal activities when you're feeling stronger. Don't try to do everything at once.
- Don't participate in contact and recreational sports until you get your doctor's OK. Avoiding a second injury is crucial.
- Check with your doctor before you begin driving, playing sports, riding a bicycle or operating heavy machinery. Your reaction times likely will have slowed as a result of your brain injury.
- Check with your doctor before taking medication.
- Don't drink alcohol until you've recovered fully. Alcohol may hinder the recovery process. Excess alcohol consumption can increase your risk of a second injury.
- Write down things you have trouble recalling.
- Talk with family or trusted friends before making any important decisions.
References
- Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/detail_tbi.htm. Accessed April 3, 2011.
- Traumatic brain injury. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec21/ch310/ch310a.html#S21_CH310_T001. Accessed April 3, 2011.
- Smith ML, et al. Neurosurgery. In: Brunicardi FC, et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5020575. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- McBride W, et al. Intracranial epidural hematoma in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/index/home.html. Accessed March 22, 2011.
- Le TH, et al. Neuroimaging of traumatic brain injury. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine. 2009;76:145.
- Moulton RJ, et al. Head injury and intracranial hypertension. In: Hall JB, et al. Principles of Critical Care. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2297849. Accessed April 5, 2011.
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