What Is Brain Injury and Its Types? Signs & Long-Term Effects

November 22, 2025

Our brain is our body’s command centre. It controls our thoughts, feelings, movements, and memories. Because it’s so important, it’s also very well protected. But what happens when it gets damaged? A brain injury can be a sudden, life-changing event. Understanding what a brain injury is, including the different types of brain damage, is the first step towards getting the right support.

This post will guide you through the basics of brain injuries. We’ll explore the main types, explain the critical signs of brain damage you should never ignore, and discuss the possible long-term effects of brain trauma. Most importantly, we’ll talk about the importance of specialist brain care and dedicated care for head injury during recovery.

What is an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)?

When we talk about brain damage that happens after birth, we use the umbrella term ‘Acquired Brain Injury’, or ABI injury. This simply means the injury isn’t something the person was born with (congenital) or a condition that develops slowly over time like dementia. An ABI injury is the result of a specific event that causes harm to the brain.

This ABI injury category is very broad and is split into two main groups:

Non-Traumatic Brain Injury: Caused by an internal event, like an illness or problem inside the body.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Caused by an external force hitting the head.

These two terms, ABI and TBI, are often confused. While a TBI is a type of ABI injury, not every ABI injury is a TBI. For a more detailed comparison of the two, you can read our blog, ABI vs TBI: What is the difference?. For now, let’s look at what these injuries involve.

Types of Non-Traumatic Brain Injury

A non-traumatic ABI injury happens when something inside the body harms the brain. This type of brain damage is often related to a medical event that disrupts the brain’s delicate environment.

Common causes include:

Stroke: It occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted (an ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. A haemorrhagic stroke is a dangerous bleed on the brain.
Aneurysm: This is a weak, balloon-like bulge in a blood vessel wall. If it bursts, it causes a severe bleed on the brain, leading to widespread brain damage.
Hypoxia or Anoxia: This is brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen. This can happen during a heart attack, drowning, or complications during surgery.
Infections: Illnesses like meningitis (inflammation of the membranes around the brain) or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain itself) can cause severe swelling and brain damage.
Brain Tumours: A growing tumour can press on parts of the brain, causing damage to those areas.

Any of these events, especially a bleed on the brain, is a medical emergency that requires immediate and ongoing brain care.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the type of ABI injury most people think of. It’s caused by an external force. This is the most common reason people need specific care for head injury.

This force could be from:

A fall: This is a leading cause of TBIs, especially for young children and older adults.
A road traffic accident: Impacts from car, motorbike, or bicycle accidents.
An assault: A direct blow to the head.
A sports injury: Collisions in contact sports like rugby or boxing.

TBIs are graded by severity:

Mild TBI (Concussion): The person may be dazed or lose consciousness for a very short While called ‘mild’, any concussion is still a form of brain damage and needs to be monitored.
Moderate to Severe TBI: This involves a longer period of unconsciousness or memory loss. This level of care for head injury is much more intensive, as it can involve bruising of the brain or a life-threatening bleed on the brain.

Key Signs of Brain Damage to Watch For

Recognising a brain injury is not always easy. Some signs of brain damage appear instantly. Others can take hours or even days to show. This is why it’s so important to know the signs of brain damage if you or someone else has hit their head.

Never ignore these signs of brain damage.

Physical Signs	Cognitive (Thinking) & Emotional Signs
Loss of consciousness: For any length of time.	Confusion or disorientation: Not knowing where they are or what day it is.
A persistent headache: One that gets worse or doesn’t go away.	Memory loss (amnesia): Especially not remembering the event.
Nausea or repeated vomiting: Key signs of brain damage to watch for.	Slurred speech or difficulty finding words.
Dizziness, “seeing stars,” or loss of balance.	Irritability, mood swings, or being unusually emotional.
Seizures or fits (convulsions).	Feeling anxious or depressed for no clear reason.
Clear fluid or blood leaking from the nose or ears: This is an emergency sign that could indicate a skull fracture or bleed on the brain.	“Brain fog”: Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly.
Unequal pupil size.

Physical Signs

Loss of consciousness: For any length of time.
A persistent headache: One that gets worse or doesn’t go away.
Nausea or repeated vomiting: Key signs of brain damage to watch for.
Dizziness, “seeing stars,” or loss of balance.
Seizures or fits (convulsions).
Clear fluid or blood leaking from the nose or ears: This is an emergency sign that could indicate a skull fracture or bleed on the brain.
Unequal pupil size.

Cognitive (Thinking) & Emotional Signs

Confusion or disorientation: Not knowing where they are or what day it is.
Memory loss (amnesia): Especially not remembering the event.
Slurred speech or difficulty finding words.
Irritability, mood swings, or being unusually emotional.
Feeling anxious or depressed for no clear reason.
“Brain fog”: Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly.

If you spot any of these signs of brain damage after an injury, seek medical help straight away. Getting fast care for head injury is the best way to prevent more serious brain damage.

The Long-Term Effects of Brain Trauma

For some, recovery from an ABI injury is quick. For many others, it’s a long journey. The challenges that remain long after the initial injury are known as the long-term effects of brain trauma.

These long-term effects of brain trauma can be very difficult for the person and their family to manage. They vary depending on what part of the brain was damaged and how badly.

Physical Effects: This can include chronic fatigue (feeling tired all the time), persistent headaches, epilepsy, problems with balance, and muscle weakness or spasticity (stiffness).
Cognitive Effects: These are the ‘hidden’ long term effects of brain trauma. They include problems with memory, a short attention span, and difficulty with ‘executive functions’—the skills we use to plan, organise, and solve problems.
Behavioural & Emotional Effects: This is often the hardest part of brain damage. A person’s personality can seem to change. They might become more impulsive, have a “short fuse,” or struggle to understand social cues. These are not a choice; they are long term effects of brain trauma that require specialist brain care.

Living with these long-term effects of brain trauma requires a new way of life and a strong support system.

The Role of Specialist Brain Care in Recovery

There is no “cure” for brain damage, but there is recovery. Rehabilitation helps the brain to heal and find new ways to work. This process relies on a dedicated brain care team, often including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists.

This long-term journey is where specialist support from providers like OneCall24 Healthcare becomes essential. Managing an ABI injury at home, with all its complexities, requires more than just standard care. It requires healthcare assistants and nurses who are specifically trained in brain care.

Our specialist teams understand the long-term effects of brain trauma. They are trained to manage challenging behaviours with patience, support daily rehabilitation exercises, and provide complex clinical care for head injury. Perhaps most importantly, they are trained to spot subtle new signs of brain damage or complications, ensuring safety and providing peace of mind for the whole family. This dedicated care for head injury is vital for improving quality of life.

We Are Here to Support You

A brain injury is a journey, and no one should have to face it alone. Whether it’s an ABI injury from a stroke, a bleed on the brain from an aneurysm, or the result of a TBI, the path forward requires patience and expert support.

If you are a family member, case manager, or individual looking for expert support in managing the long-term effects of brain trauma, OneCall24 Healthcare is here to help. We provide compassionate, highly trained staff who specialise in complex brain care and care for head injury.

Find out more about our specialist complex care services or contact us today to discuss your specific needs. Let us provide the professional support you can rely on.