TBI & blast exposure
Topic guideBlast overpressure and repeated concussion — among the most common invisible injuries of the post-9/11 wars.
Where it comes from in service
IED and mortar/rocket blast overpressure, breacher and heavy-weapons concussive exposure, vehicle rollovers and crashes, and repeated lower-level blast exposure from training (breaching, artillery, heavy weapons) that was rarely logged as an injury at the time.
How it harms the body
A blast wave can injure brain tissue without any visible wound — the pressure wave itself disrupts brain chemistry and small blood vessels, which is why a normal-looking head and a real brain injury can coexist.
Repeated lower-level blast exposure (breaching, artillery, close-range heavy weapons over a career) is a documented, separate concern from a single diagnosed concussion, and is harder to connect to any one incident.
How long it stays in you
Symptoms — headaches, memory and concentration trouble, sleep disruption, mood change, noise/light sensitivity — can persist for years after the initial injury and are easy to mistake for stress or aging.
Where it goes — tap an organ to go deeper
TBI is claimed by direct service connection under 38 CFR 3.303 when the in-service event, a current diagnosis, and a medical link are documented. VA also recognizes certain conditions as secondary to a service-connected TBI (including some mental-health and endocrine conditions) under 38 CFR 3.310.
Cognitive, mood, and sleep symptoms can compound over time and are frequently misattributed to unrelated causes. A full cognitive and neurological evaluation — not just a checklist screen — is the right step.
What to ask your clinician about
- •Full cognitive and neurological evaluation (not just a screening checklist)
- •Ask specifically about evaluation through VA's Polytrauma/TBI System of Care
Bring this to your clinician and your VSO — they decide what testing and care, if any, is right for you. For general, whole-person ways to support your body, see Whole health.
Sources: 38 CFR 3.303, 3.310 · VA Polytrauma/TBI System of Care · VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for TBI. Drafted from the government's and science's own record — VA presumptive lists (PACT Act, 38 CFR, Camp Lejeune), ATSDR ToxFAQs, IARC, and NTP. Sources are cited on every page, and this library has not yet been reviewed by a named clinician or toxicologist. This is documentation to bring to your clinician and VSO — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a determination of service connection. Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.