Understanding Brain Injuries with a Specialist – Dr. Curtis Cripe
3 min read
One of the first lessons in any first aid class is how to help people with head injuries. This is a very sensitive and delicate situation where the brain experiences trauma that can result in brain damage.
Dr. Curtis Cripe – Brain damage and its effects
Dr. Curtis Cripe is the Director of Research and Development at the NTL Group in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Before he started to work in the field of behavioral medicine, he served as a systems engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at NASA. Here, he contributed to exploration missions of celestial planets and was a part of the team at the first landing of Mars in the 1970s. From here, he started to work in software development in the Department of Defense contractor TRW, Inc.
He holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in behavioral medicine and health psychology from Northcentral University. He possesses graduate degrees in aerospace engineering from the California State Polytechnic University. He likes to practice hydroponics and grow heirloom vegetables in his free time.
According to him, people with brain damage are generally affected in multiple ways, especially when it comes to how they move, think, feel, or function. There is an estimate from a credible source that believes that over 5 million people in the USA struggle with some sort of brain injury.
What are the common causes of brain injury?
Brain injuries can take place in multiple ways. The most common cause of them is accidents. Individuals sustain brain injuries from slips, falls, accidents when playing sports, car crashes, bomb explosions, unforeseen violence, war, or concussions that repeatedly happen in a sport like boxing or events like MMA.
People can also sustain injuries to the brain besides intense and sudden impact. For instance, cutting oxygen supply to the brain has dangerous effects. Infections and tumors are other causes of injuries. The most common of them, which is not traumatic, is stroke.
Symptoms of brain injuries
People who have suffered from brain injuries experience many symptoms. They include the following:
- Poor vision,
- Headaches,
- Communication problems,
- Insomnia,
- Seizures, and other serious conditions, like the decline of motor skills.
Taking care of patients with brain injuries is not easy
In the opinion of Dr. Curtis Cripe, caregivers of patients with brain injuries need to note that they will not be able to do the things they used to do before. It is important for you to know what not to say to them so that they do not feel pain or hurt. At the same time, you need to take time out for yourself to not stress.
Your health is equally important as that of your loved one too
You should take help from the doctor in case you suffer from burnout. It is prudent for you to join a rehabilitation group for caregivers of brain injuries. In this way, you are able to meet other caregivers and understand their challenges as well. In this way, you can educate yourself and ensure that both you and your loved one are in good health in this journey together.
