After crashing her car into two homes last Friday, actress Anne Heche was placed on life support and is not expected to survive, according to a representative for her family and friends.
Heche, 53, has been hospitalised since the accident, in which she was allegedly speeding in her blue Mini Cooper and crashed into two homes, one of which caught fire.
According to the representative, she has an anoxic brain injury. What effect does this have on the body?
Anoxic brain damage
When all oxygen is removed from the brain, anoxic brain injuries occur. According to the Shepherd Center, a private, nonprofit hospital in Atlanta, brain cells begin to die off after about four minutes of being depleted of oxygen.
Brain Injuries and Their Causes
Brain injuries do not always occur in the brain. They can be caused by any physical trauma that impairs the body's ability to absorb oxygen, such as a stroke or lung trauma.
Brain injury symptoms
Look for physical limitations as well as behavioural changes that could indicate a brain injury, such as:
Headaches
Vision problems
Aphrasia (difficulty speaking)
Sleep pattern changes
Seizures
Memory issues
Depression
Having difficulty concentrating
Swings in mood
