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Why don’t some brain injuries fully heal? 

On Behalf of | May 9, 2024 | Construction Injuries

Certain types of workplace accidents can lead to traumatic brain injuries. For instance, you could fall from a ladder and hit your head on the ground or be injured when you get caught between two vehicles on a worksite. Both falls and caught-between instances are two of the top reasons for serious workplace accidents.

If you do have a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you could see certain symptoms like memory loss, trouble with balance, cognitive difficulties, disruption of your sleep schedule and much more. Some people even seem to have a whole new personality. 

Over time, though, healing will occur, and some of these symptoms may decrease. You may no longer have trouble walking or you may regain all of your cognitive abilities. But in some cases, the symptoms don’t always fully heal. You could have those symptoms for the rest of your life, and they may even constitute a disability that means you can’t work. Why is it that your brain can’t completely heal?

Regenerating neurons

The trouble is that the brain is not always able to regenerate the neurons or brain cells that it needs to heal. For the most part, people are born with all of the neurons that they will ever have. If some were lost in the accident, the brain can partially heal by finding new neural pathways, but it may not be able to fully heal.

This is in stark contrast to other areas of your body. Many organs, like your skin, can create new cells to repair damaged or lost tissues. But your brain can’t always do the same, which is why you may have long-term symptoms – even after even after other symptoms have completely healed. If you’re dealing with these types of issues after a workplace accident, be sure you know what legal steps to take.