If you have recently been through a car accident or experienced a collision-based sports injury, then you are probably concerned that you have sustained a head injury. Head injuries, also referred to as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), occurs when an external force, such as a violent blow or abrupt jolt to the head or even the body, causes brain dysfunction. The dysfunction can be mild, such as mild temporary dizziness or severe such as long-term memory loss. if you are concerned about a possible head injury, consider the following information from a Wisconsin Head Injury Lawyer.
Head injuries are not always immediately diagnosed.
If you have been involved in a car accident or other collision, you have probably received some form of medical treatment, either through an emergency department visit or through urgent care. Typically, the medical personnel will provide a cursory examination of your whole body and maybe ask some questions to understand whether you are oriented to the place and time and ask you how you are feeling. However, if you have any physical injuries that accompany your head injury, the physical injuries are typically addressed first and given priority, absent evidence of a significant immediate need, such as external bleeding or bleeding on the brain. Often car accident victims are sent home with only a mild concussion diagnosis (if there is any diagnosis given) and told to “take it easy.” If there is any follow-up treatment, often the concussion diagnosis is ignored.
A concussion is a head injury.
Discussions of concussions often occur in connection with sports, however, you can sustain concussions with any serious blow to your head or body. Concussions are mild brain injuries or head traumas that often have associated with temporary loss of brain functions. The sufferer often has a temporary loss of consciousness after the injury with disorienting symptoms after he or she regains consciousness. Even mild brain injuries can cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. Mild injury may result in symptoms including:
- short-term loss of consciousness
- feeling dazed or disoriented
- Headache
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Sleep dysfunction
- loss of balance
- blurred vision
- ringing in the ears
- unusual taste in mouth
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Memory or concentration problems
- mood swings
- depression and anxiety
If you experience these symptoms following a head injury, you should consult a physician to determine the extent of the injury.
Multiple minor head injuries can lead to significant long-term effects.
If you have experienced multiple seemingly minor head injuries, those impact of each injury exacerbates the brain dysfunction. Therefore, with multiple prior brain injuries, you could be one concussion away from significant brain dysfunction. If you have experienced moderate to severe brain injury, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Short or long-term loss of consciousness
- Persistent headache or headache that increase in severity
- Repeated vomiting or periods of nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilation of one or both pupils
- Fluids draining from the nose or ears
- Significant sleep dysfunction
- Weakness
- Numbness in fingers and toes
- Loss of coordination
- Significant confusion
- Significant agitation or unusual behavior
- Slurred or slowed speech
- Coma
Sometimes significant head injury symptoms are confused with intoxication. Those seeking medical treatment for serious head injury should be accompanied by a friend or family member to help the medical professional understand the injured’s history of head trauma and lifestyle choices. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms and is not under professional medical care, contact medical professionals immediately.
The impact of your head injury lasts a lifetime.
Though often overlooked, head injuries can cause significant long-term problems for the injured. If you or someone you love have experienced a head injury and need an experienced head injury attorney to handle your personal injury claim, please contact us for a free consultation.
