Some people might think a little dizziness and fogginess is normal after an accident.
However, these subtle feelings or discomfort may be a sign of a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Because brain injuries can persist or worsen without treatment and rehabilitation, ignoring subtle TBI symptoms after an accident can have devastating consequences.
Understanding Head Trauma
In some cases, a TBI might not cause immediate symptoms or could cause symptoms so subtle that an injury victim might not realize they’re hurt. However, TBIs require prompt treatment. Delayed treatment can worsen the symptoms or cause injury symptoms to last longer. In some situations, an untreated TBI could become life-threatening.
Can You Have a Brain Injury and Not Know It?
Unfortunately, brain injuries may have delayed symptoms that take hours, days, or weeks to appear. Brain injuries can also cause subtle symptoms that are easy to overlook or downplay. Even when they’re noticeable, some might dismiss them as unimportant.
Don’t make this mistake. Instead, seek prompt medical attention after an accident involving a blow to the head. A doctor can perform tests to determine whether you may have sustained a traumatic brain injury.
Identifying the More Subtle Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
People who have had accidents or suffered traumatic blows to the head need to be alert to some of the more subtle symptoms that may result from a TBI. These include the following examples:
- Personality changes, such as impulsivity, lack of inhibition, engaging in risk-taking behaviors, mood changes, mood swings, and depression
- Excessive lethargy or fatigue
- Changes in sleeping patterns, including sleeping more than usual or regular difficulty falling asleep
- Vision issues, including difficulty seeing things up close or limitations to long-range vision or field of view
- Numbness or tingling in the head, hands, and feet
- Balance and coordination issues
- Concentration and memory problems
- Altered taste and smell
- Persistent headaches, dizziness, or nausea
- Sensitivity to light and noise
- Increased stress and anxiety
What to Do Next?
Are you experiencing any of the symptoms listed above? If so, you should see a doctor as soon as possible to get checked for a potential traumatic brain injury. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan and recovery instructions. Failing to treat a brain injury may worsen the severity and duration of the symptoms. Worse, putting off treatment could leave you at risk of a more severe injury if you have another accident or blow to the head.
If you’ve sustained a TBI in an accident that was someone else’s fault, get help from our Oklahoma personal injury lawyers to pursue maximum financial compensation. Contact Cain Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation to speak with an Oklahoma traumatic brain injury lawyer about your legal options.
We can take your call 24/7 and get started on your case immediately. What’s more, you owe us nothing unless and until we recover compensation for you. When you work with an Oklahoma City personal injury attorney with our firm, cost is never a barrier to pursuing the justice you deserve.