America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated
just how terrible improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are. Although these
weapons were capable of physical injury, they also caused a lot of "invisible
wounds" among veterans.
These are known as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs),
one of the most common injuries reported by enlisted personnel who participated
in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Most of the reported cases of
TBI, classified as either mild or severe, were caused by IEDs, sudden slips and
falls, and vehicular accidents.
Mild TBIs manifest themselves as headaches,
lightheadedness, fatigue, lethargy, change in sleeping patterns, and
disorientation. Severe TBIs, on the other hand, can result in loss of
consciousness, amnesia, extreme pupil dilation (anisocoria), and confusion even
after a great deal of time has passed since the incident. Depending on the
severity of the wound, symptoms of TBI can either appear immediately, or weeks
or months after the event.
Since 2008, the number of TBI cases among enlisted
personnel has increased significantly to the point that veterans diagnosed with
TBI can earn a 100 percent disability rating when applying for VA benefits. Close
to 20,000 members of the Army were diagnosed with TBI in 2011, while other
branches had less than 5,000 cases reported.
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