Brain Injury, Brain Protection and Nutrition: Little Imperfections Causing Chaos in a Fantastic System

Brain looking like a computer. Fantastic system of Brain protection and nutrition
. Little imperfections in a Fantastic System of Brain Protection and Nutrition. Image by
Kai Schreiber via Flickr.com

Our strengths are also our weaknesses. So it is said. This could also be said of our remarkable brain.

The way our brain is protected and fed can be seen as a strength, it keeps the brain operating as captain of our ship, the composer of the orchestra, the boss of the factory – yes our entire body.

Our system for brain protection and nutrition can also be a weakness. Well several weaknesses really.

Damage to the brain’s system for nutrition and protection can cause temporary or permanent brain injury.

 

Brain Protection and Nutrition: When a Weakness Appears.

We have looked at how the brain is fed and protected.

Little imperfections in most of our body’s function we can get away with. In the brain this can cause major chaos.

Today we go behind the scenes to look at how damage or injury to the brain protection and nutrition systems can cause such chaos and damage to the brain.

To help you impress people….. Oops no ….. I mean to help with understanding!  I will use the proper term below before talking about the weakness it describes.

Each can cause major interruptions, sometimes permanent changes in our brain.

 

Hypoxia /Anoxia

In simple terms this means not enough (Hypo-) or no (An-) oxygen, getting to brain cells, in all or part of the brain.

Something interrupts the oxygen supply circulating in the blood to the brain cells. The supply might be shut off or reduced, causing the cells affected to slow down or stop working.

Lack of oxygen can happen because of an event elsewhere in the body; our heart stops, respiratory failure, there is major bleeding in another part of our body, or we have very low blood pressure long enough to stop the brain getting the food it needs.

It can also happen when the circulation in the brain is interrupted. Such as something stopping blood getting to the brain such as a blood vessel blocking.

Example:  A young man on a summer camp in the USA was struck by lightning. His heart stopped, without blood circulating his brain was deprived of oxygen until he was rescuscitated. He has hypoxic brain injury which has caused significant damage.

 

Encephalopathies

Meaning: encephalo (the brain / head) pathies (diseases).  Disease processes that affect the brain, or our whole body.

We can get a cold, an infected toe, a stomach bug, infection elsewhere in our body and while it’s unpleasant we mostly get over it.

Infection, or disease affecting the brain, or protective membranes around it, can cause serious damage. This might be permanent, or at least make life very difficult for quite a while.  Illness, infection, chemical imbalance, tumours can cause the damage.

Examples: Meningitis and Encephalitis. Infections of the protective coverings of the brain. See more information about Meningitis and Encephalitis and how they impact the brain and body presented by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
 

Hypovolaemic Shock

Hypo (low or reduced) Volaemic (volume circulating).

Significant blood loss causes Shock when the heart cannot get enough blood around the body to meet its needs.

Lack of sufficient blood circulating causes brain damage even if the blood loss is happening in other parts of the body.

Examples:  Uncontrolled bleeding anywhere in the body, loss of body fluid such as with extensive burns.

You can read more about   Hypovolemic Shock. This comes from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

 

Traumatic Damage

Direct damage to the head and brain. The protection system of the brain along with the brain itself may be damaged.

There are 2 broad types of injury:

  • OPEN -where impact causes direct damage to the protective system, and to the brain.
  • CLOSED – there is no fracture or open injury, yet damage occurs from the impact, and movement of the brain against its protector- the skull.

Example:  Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from a blow to the head.

 

Cerebral Oedema (Edema)

Fluid building up in, and around the cells.

If fluid builds up in most cells around the body that region may swell but it will likely recover. Swelling or fluid retention in or around the brain can cause permanent damage to brain cells.

Oedema / swelling is often one of the body’s natural reactions to infection or trauma. The problem in the brain is that there is nowhere for it to go because of the “suit of armour” surrounding the brain (skull). This causes damage to cells through blood supply being cut off or pressure building and pressing brain against skull.

Example:  Stroke. Trauma.

 

Haematoma (Bruising)­

Again, like oedema, this happens in all parts of the body. Mostly it does not cause a major problem.

Bruising from trauma to the head or around the area after blood vessels burst in the brain can cause pressure on the brain, and damage to cells around the burst vessels.

Example:  After a traumatic blow to the head the tissues around the areas may bruise.

 

Raised Intercranial Pressure (ICP)

Pressure building in the brain.

The brain is a closed, pressurised system. Any blockage, swelling or fluid collecting in the brain, or its protection system can increase pressure within and create the likelihood of damage to all parts of the brain.

Example: A tumour blocking the Cerebro-spinal system, or brain haemorrhage with bleeding into brain tissue.

 

Blockage in the CerebroSpinal Fluid (CSF) System

A blockage can occur to any part of the system for circulating CSF – this builds pressure and fluid in the brain causing damage.

Example: Hydrocephalus – the fluid is unable to drain away as it normally would, fluid builds in the brain causing pressure and potentially damage.

 

Any other weaknesses in our brain nutrition and protection scheme I have not talked about here?

This is an introduction only. Part of the Back to Basics articles. Enough I hope to help you gain an understanding of how brain injury can occur through damage to a part of the brain protection and nutrition system.

Any resources, information or examples you can add would be great.

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