When a family member experiences a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it’s natural to want to know how long the recovery period will last.
However, this can be difficult to predict. In fact, depending on the severity of the injury, recovery time for a TBI may vary from a few weeks to six or more months.
Each person reacts differently to injury and illness. Thus, recovery time will vary between individuals. However, the length of recovery time for TBI depends on how long a patient is unconscious. The longer someone is unconscious, the longer the recovery time.
Learn more about the different types of TBI and the recovery time you can expect.
If you or a loved one is a TBI patient, connect with Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute to start the recovery process. Each of our patients receives patient-focused care from our experienced staff.
A mild case of TBI often has a fast recovery time. While a loss of consciousness is possible, it will likely be very brief. Oftentimes, there is a rapid recovery to normalcy within the first week of an injury. For most mild TBI patients, symptoms will last anywhere from a week to a month.
During the recovery time, patients may experience a wide range of symptoms:
Although other symptoms are possible, it’s likely that a mild TBI patient will experience at least one of these.
To recover, get plenty of rest. Pushing yourself too hard will worsen your symptoms.
A moderate TBI includes a loss of consciousness for up to 24 hours.
Severe TBI often involves a loss of consciousness for longer than 24 hours. Brain bleeding or swelling is also likely here.
Post-traumatic amnesia is longer in moderate to severe TBI. Moderate TBI patients can experience memory loss for anywhere from one to seven days.
Severe TBI patients, however, experience symptoms for longer than a week.
Recovery time for this type of TBI depends on the patient’s prior health, their access to healthcare and rehabilitation, and family support.
Moderate TBI patients may be more susceptible to long-term effects like mental health disorders. For example, many patients experience depression as a result of their injury.
While it’s hard to pinpoint the length of recovery for moderate and severe TBI, the range is typically from months to years. But the good news is that with the right support, lifestyle changes, and care, TBI patients can continue to show improvements to their health.
Providing TBI patients with the best possible rehabilitation services is a personal mission of Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute.
In 1982, Robert Moody founded the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute after his son Russell experienced a traumatic brain injury. Robert’s dedication to the highest quality of care for TBI patients is the same dedication our staff brings to each one of our patients.
Contact us today to learn how we can help your loved one recover from TBI and regain their health.
