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| https://dartcenter.org/content/brain-injuries-remain-undiagnosed-in-thousands-soldiers |
Trump says he doesn’t consider brain injuries sustained by US troops during Iran missile barrage ‘serious’
Meghann Myers and Patricia Kime
Click for ARTICLE in MILITARY TIMES January 23, 2020
President Trump said Wednesday that he didn’t consider the traumatic brain injuries reported by U.S. troops following an Iranian rocket attack to be serious.
On Friday, more than a week after Pentagon officials reported no injuries in a rocket attack on an Iraqi base housing U.S. troops, reports surfaced that 11 service members had been flown out of the country to treat persistent symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Tuesday, military officials acknowledged even more troops were being evaluated for injuries.
“I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things,” he told a reporter during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. “But I would say, and I can report, that it is not very serious.”
When asked about the 11 U.S. servicemen injured in the Iran airstrikes, President Trump told @weijia he didn't "consider them serious injuries relative to other injuries I've seen." cbsn.ws/36nmHEI
While most people who suffer concussion recover within seven to 10 days with appropriate treatment, severe or multiple concussions can have lingering and even lasting or progressive effects such as degeneration or brain changes that put aging veterans at risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions, according to researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System.
The Defense Department has been grappling with the issue of TBI throughout the Global War on Terror, as the sometimes invisible injury can be hard to detect, service members can be reluctant to report their suffering and the long-term damage can wreak havoc on mental and behavioral health.
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Info about Traumatic Brain Injuries from the Center for Disease Control:
Symptoms usually fall into four categories:
| Thinking/ Remembering | Physical | Emotional/ Mood | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty thinking clearly | Headache
Fuzzy or blurry vision
| Irritability | Sleeping more than usual |
| Feeling slowed down | Nausea or vomiting
(early on)
Dizziness
| Sadness | Sleep less than usual |
| Difficulty concentrating | Sensitivity to noise or light
Balance problems
| More emotional | Trouble falling asleep |
| Difficulty remembering new information | Feeling tired, having no energy | Nervousness or anxiety |
Some of these symptoms may appear right away. Others may not be noticed for days or months after the injury, or until the person resumes their everyday life. Sometimes, people do not recognize or admit that they are having problems. Others may not understand their problems and how the symptoms they are experiencing impact their daily activities.
The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be difficult to sort out. Early on, problems may be overlooked by the person with the concussion, family members, or doctors. People may look fine even though they are acting or feeling differently.
See Getting Better, for tips to help aid your recovery after a concussion.
When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Danger Signs in Adults
In rare cases, a dangerous blood clot that crowds the brain against the skull can develop. The people checking on you should take you to an emergency department right away if you have:
- Headache that gets worse and does not go away.
- Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination.
- Repeated vomiting or nausea.
- Slurred speech.
- Look very drowsy or cannot wake up.
- Have one pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other.
- Have convulsions or seizures.
- Cannot recognize people or places.
- Are getting more and more confused, restless, or agitated.
- Have unusual behavior.
- Lose consciousness.
RELATED ARTICLE: Brain Wars: How the Military is Failing its Wounded
April 15, 2011 by T. Christian Miller, Daniel Zwerdling, Susanne Reber, Robin Fields
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