National Brain Injury Awareness Month is a time to recognize the millions of Americans living with traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related disabilities.

TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. However not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. It's a major cause of death and disability in the U.S., contributing to about 30 percent of all injury deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Everyone is at risk for a TBI, especially children and older adults," said Kirsten Pollick, Ph.D., Naval Hospital Jacksonville's neuropsychologist and TBI program director. "Know the signs and symptoms of TBI and seek proper care."

Physical signs and symptoms of TBI include headache, fuzzy or blurry vision, nausea or vomiting (early on), dizziness, sensitivity to noise or light, balance problems, or feeling tired or having no energy.

Some symptoms might appear right away, while others might not be noticed for days or months after injury. Children with a brain injury can have the same symptoms as adults, but it's often harder for them to let others know.

According to the CDC, about 75 percent of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild TBI. Repeated mild TBIs occurring over an extended period of time can result in cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. Repeated mild TBIs occurring within short periods of time (hours, days, or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal.

Leading causes of TBI include falls, being hit by an object, and motor vehicle crashes. According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, active duty and reservists are at increased risk of sustaining a TBI compared to their civilian peers, as a result of several factors: demographics (age), operational and training activities, and deployment to areas that put service members at risk for experiencing blast exposures (such as improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers, and grenades).

TBI is a serious condition. Individuals with suspected brain injuries should seek medical care immediately by contacting their Medical Home Port team to schedule an urgent care appointment, or for emergencies going to the emergency room or calling 911.

NH Jacksonville patients can be evaluated by the hospital's TBI screening program after receiving a consultation or referral from their Medical Home Port team, Deployment Health Center, Neurology, or Behavioral Health.

To find out more about the hospital's TBI program, call the program manager at 904-546-6331. For more on deployment services, contact the Deployment Health Center at 904-546-7099.

To learn more about brain injury awareness visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov.

Naval Hospital Jacksonville's priority, since its founding in 1941, is to heal the nation's heroes and their families. The command is the Navy's third largest medical treatment facility, comprised of a hospital and five branch health clinics across Florida and Georgia. Of its patient population (163,000 active and retired sailors, soldiers, Marines, airmen, guardsmen, and their families), about 84,000 are enrolled with a primary care manager and Medical Home Port team at one of its facilities. To find out more or download the command's mobile app, visit www.med.navy.mil/sites/navalhospitaljax.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, visit www.navy.mil/.