Prevention is the best cure.

Brain injury can be prevented.

Many of the brain injuries that occur annually in this country can be prevented. Each year 140,000 persons die from brain injuries and 70,000 persons sustain severe brain injuries.

A brain injury is an insult to the brain caused by an external force, which may impair cognitive, physical, behavioral, and emotional functions.

Brain injury rehabilitation is a long process that is measured in years rather than months. Many persons with severe brain injuries face a wide range of lifelong problems. These problems, in turn, can dramatically affect an individual's ability to live independently, care for a family, and work.

The true extent of brain injury is conveyed by numbers. Lives, hopes, dreams, families, and friendships are often altered in the wake of a brain injury. Research, rehabilitation, public awareness, and PREVENTION can help to lessen the occurrence to brain injuries in our society.

Be Smart. Be Well..

The Brain Injury Association of Illinois worked closely with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois in the development of a new wellness website. The inaugural topic was "Brain Injury Prevention". We are very grateful to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for inviting us to partner with them in providing this important information on prevention and awareness of brain injury not only within the state of Illinois but throughout the nation. The information on brain injury prevention can be found in the archive section on the home page and will remain available online as new topics are introduced. We encourage brain injury providers and professionals to add this resource to their websites and to use the information that is made available on the site. If you are interested in adding this site to yours, please let me know and I will forward the information and graphic to you. Please take note that two board members appear in this video. Dr. Nelson Escobar of Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and Dr. James Young of Rush University Medical Center. Amy Davis generously contributed her story and insights to the website. Many of you will recognize Amy from her presentation at our 2004 Educational Conference and participation in our 2005 Fashion Show. You'll recognize other Brain Injury Association of Illinois members in this video project! Thank you to all who generously contributed their time and story to this project.

Be Smart. Be Well. is a health and wellness website designed to raise awareness of prevalent, yet largely preventable health and safety issues. Through  interviews with medical professionals, and video documentaries with individuals whose lives have been changed, Be Smart. Be Well seeks to engage and motivate people to make smart and healthy choices.  The first featured topic was Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Be Smart. Be Well. will be updated periodically with new topics, and all prior topics, including TBI, will always be accessible.

Visit http://www.besmartbewell.com today, where awareness and prevention meet.

Brain Injury Facts for Parents, Coaches and Athletes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. Concussions occur even if an athlete doesn’t lose consciousness and in fact, is the most common type of brain injury sustained in sports.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a blow or jolt to the head. The severity of an injury can range from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms may be noticeable immediately, or it may take days or weeks before they are present.

Symptoms and recovery vary for each person, but awareness and seeking medical attention immediately following an incident are crucial steps in caring for yourself, a teammate, or family member.