Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), also known as, roadside bombs, have become extremely sophisticated since they were first used against our soldiers in Iraq. The insurgents have been able to improve from those used in the past through trial and error, there is some possibility that the explosives used are improving with help from Iran, and there have been increasing uses of IEDs not only in Iraq, but in Afghanistan as well. All these things spell disaster for U.S. soldiers who are caught in the blast. While this is not new, the longer we stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, the higher the number of those who must live with the effects of the blast. However, it isn't only IEDs; it is mortars, rocket propelled grenades, and hand grenades, bullets, falls, and accidents that injure and kill. What's more, while injuries to extremities, including amputation, are a life-changing event, brain injuries may be as bad or worse due to their nature.

Kevlar helmets have been a remarkable improvement over past military helmets in several ways. What may have killed a soldier in a past military engagement does not affect the helmet-wearer as severely today. Or so we'd like to believe. During an explosive blast, the brain can be smashed against the skull. This can cause a host of problems unseen for many years that may manifest is disturbing patterns of behavior. This is because the brain is often damaged in explosions. Even what seems like a slight concussion may be something worse. Soldiers who have survived explosions, and even those who treat them, may believe they are uninjured, or that that ringing in the soldiers' ears is only due to the sound of the explosion.

Symptoms

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are sometimes difficult to diagnose because the symptoms could be something else. Also, many soldiers either refuse treatment or are denied it. There is also a stigma still attached to those troops who desire some kind of psychological help - even if the psychological problems are due to the effects of explosions during combat. As with civilian TBI, the symptoms are not much different:

· Blurred or double vision

· Changes in personality

· Difficulty concentrating

· Difficulty speaking

· Dilated pupils

· Disorientation

· Dizziness

· Memory loss

· Nausea and vomiting

· Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

· Severe headaches

What is different is that many of these symptoms are classified as part of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and many combat troops return home with this condition. This is hidden by many soldiers who believe it a sign of weakness; and though PTSD is a real and debilitating condition, chances are high that if that soldier was involved in an explosion or suffered another type of head wound, they are most likely suffering a TBI.

Statistics

Currently, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) believes that ten percent of all troops in Iraq may suffer concussions during combat, and that 20 percent of all troops fighting on the frontline may suffer concussions during combat. However, this may be significantly higher. It is also estimated that 1.5 million people a year sustain a TBI a year. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan help to push this number higher. Eighty thousand of these will need long-term care due to disabilities, and 50,000 of these will die due to their injuries.

It has been said that TBI is the "signature wound" of today's wars. This is because so many soldiers are showing up at veterans hospitals with signs of head injuries. They are kept alive due to better equipment and medical care, but the costs to all of us - friends, family, tax payers - are high. Because the changes go on at the cellular level, the returning wounded may look fine, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Getting them adequate care is a must, and understanding their injury, which can be mysterious and unpredictable, is paramount to a rapid recovery. However, when care is denied due to the belief that the soldier is either faking it or suffering from symptoms that are related to something else, it may be necessary to contact an attorney with experience in traumatic brain injuries.