Sustaining a brain injury can be an extremely frightening experience. The best-case scenario is that it is relatively minor, and you can fully recover with time and medical intervention. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case and some brain injuries can be more severe and permanent. Regardless of the category you fall into, we’ve got some basic health tips that can help you better cope with your brain injury and help you find a new normal in life.
Follow the Doctor’s Advice to the Letter
The first tip is to make sure you’re listening to your doctor. Chances are you’ve seen various doctors and specialists at this point, and they are the experts, they know best. If they have prescribed things you should and shouldn’t be doing, it’s important to follow the instructions. If you choose to ignore them and push yourself too far, you can risk further injury and even eliminate your chances of recovery.
Do You Need to Limit Physical Activity?
When speaking to your doctor, make sure you are clear on the types of physical activity you can take part in, how often, and at what level of intensity. Often you will need to start slowly and gently and, depending on how your body and brain react, you may get to increase the intensity over time.
Medication May Be Necessary
Another thing your doctor may discuss is medication, which can be a temporary treatment or permanent. There are different types of medications used, which are meant to prevent any secondary brain damage from occurring. These can include diuretics and anti-seizure drugs.
Be sure to follow the medication schedule properly, never missing a dose. If you’re having a hard time remembering, try using a medication reminder app. These are great for medication management in general, so you can also enter other medications you may take.
Rehabilitation Specialists Can Be Extremely Beneficial
A traumatic brain injury tends to require much more medical intervention, so it’s best to get on it immediately. Rehabilitation specialists can help you to recover, re-learn skills, adjust your lifestyle and find new ways of doing things.
Your rehabilitation team can be made up of different specialists who focus on different areas. Some of the specialists can include a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, physical therapist, physiatrist, recreational therapist, traumatic brain injury nurse specialist and a vocational counselor.
You May Be Eligible for Monetary Compensation
While all of these health tips can offer substantial results, they can also be expensive in terms of medical care and appointments, especially for severe brain injuries. Depending on how you sustained your injury, you may be eligible for monetary compensation.
If the injury was caused by someone else’s recklessness or negligence, it’s important to speak to a lawyer with experience in brain injury claims. This should be done as soon as possible after the injury occurred. You can check this source for more information on the steps to take and what you can expect. Having the funds to cover the necessary medical and health-related expenses will vastly improve your odds of recovery.
All of these health tips are not only helpful but essential on your path to recovery after a brain injury.