Did you know that the month of March is Brain Injury Awareness Month? I didn’t know about this. This motivated me to raise more awareness about a health issue that affects many older people as well as young children. Many people associate it with getting into accidents while riding a bike, but it could also happen in the comfort of your own home. Here are some safety tips for preventing brain injuries.
What Causes Brain Injuries at Home?
There are several causes of brain injuries. These incidents occur frequently among children and older adults. However, these incidents can happen to anyone who isn’t living in the safest conditions. If your floors are slippery and your rugs are loose, you could put yourself at risk for serious falls. Poor lighting could also become a factor. Climbing on unstable furniture is also a hazardous risk of suffering from brain injuries.
4 Tips to Prevent Traumatic Brain Injuries
There are important tips you must follow to lower your risk of these fatal accidents. You should especially apply them if you have older people or children living in your home. Here are some of these tips every person must implement in their households. While it isn’t always easy to follow these tips, strive to do the best you can to do so in order to be safe at home.
Keep Walkways Clutter-free
You want to make your home safe and easy to walk around in. That’s why it’s important to keep your hallways, corridors, aisles, or steps free from items to trip on. If you happen to have shelves that aren’t very sturdy on your walls, be sure to screw the bolts a lot tighter. You want to make your hallways and steps free from clutter and shaky furniture.
Wipe Away Spills on the Floor
It’s also important to always wipe away any accidental spills left on the floor. A slippery floor can always lead to serious trips and traumatic brain injuries. Make good use of a mop or paper towels to wipe any water or other liquids left on the kitchen or bathroom floors. This is especially important if you have older people or young, active children in your home. Don’t put them at serious risk of traumatic head injuries by not keeping your floors dry.
Improve the Quality of Lighting in Your Home
If the lights in your hallways and various rooms are poor, this could lead to some accidents. Having proper lighting is essential to navigating safely in your home. You’ll make your home easy and safe to walk through or walk fast through when people can see clearly. Ensure the best visibility for potential hazards, such as uneven surfaces and clutter, with strong lighting in your home.
Keep Pathways Clear of Debris Outside
Besides the inside of your home, consider keeping the outside of your home free from debris. When your back or front porch is filled with trash, leaves, or toys, if you have children, this could lead to serious tripping hazards. These accidents could potentially lead to traumatic brain injuries. Make sure to keep these areas clean. If you have a garage, don’t leave your construction tools out. Store them safely in your cases. Also, be sure to supervise any young children you have living with you during their outdoor play.
Signs of a Severe Brain Injury
If you have suffered a concussion, even if you may at first seem fine, it’s important to go to the doctor. You don’t want to delay doing this. If you do, you’ll be putting yourself at risk of getting worse. You may be experiencing a traumatic brain injury. Some signs of this condition you must be aware of are balancing problems, confusion or memory loss, headaches, and nausea or vomiting.
However, this could all be prevented if you practice good safety measures within your home, while staying somewhere, or within other surroundings. Strive to be proactive in assessing how safe your home is. In fact, try doing this: Walking through your home today and identifying one safety upgrade you can make. When you do this, you’ll be protecting yourself and your loved ones from potentially fatal traumatic brain injuries.
If you have any simple safety tips you follow to prevent brain injuries in your home, feel free to share them in the comments below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next person you love and care about.
