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Car accidents often involve the impact of tremendous forces that can do serious damage to the human body. While people's bodies have evolved to heavily protect vital organs such as the heart and brain, traffic accidents can still cause severe injuries to these important organs. One of the most prevalent of these types of injuries is also one of the least well understood by most accident victims: the traumatic brain injury.
What Traumatic Brain Injuries Are
Traumatic brain injuries are impacts to the tissue of the brain, usually by some sort of traumatic impact, like a car crash. The impact shakes the person's brain in their skull, damaging the sensitive tissue. This can make traumatic brain injuries difficult to diagnose for two reasons. First, a person can have a traumatic brain injury even if there is little exterior damage to a person's head or face. This can leave people thinking that they are fine despite having suffered a serious internal injury. Second, the brain is a complex organ that performs many different functions. Consequently, damage to the different areas of the brain can cause different people to present different symptoms depending on the specifics of their traumatic brain injury. However, there are a variety of physical or mental symptoms that may suggest that a person has suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Physical Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
The brain acts as the body's control center, so traumatic brain injuries can result in a variety of different physical symptoms. Some of these symptoms affect a person's entire body. For instance, people may experience balance troubles following a traumatic brain injury, or they may notice changes in sleep patterns.
People may also experience sensory issues as a result of a traumatic brain injury. One common symptom is blurred vision following the accident. However, other senses may also be impacted as well, such as a ringing in the ears or a bad taste in a person's mouth that will not go away.
Finally, there are a set of other general symptoms that may be a sign of a traumatic brain injury. People may experience nausea or vomiting, headaches, seizures, or numbness in the extremities. Additionally, if a person lost consciousness immediately following the accident, that is also a warning sign of a potential traumatic brain injury.
Other Possible Signs
Physical symptoms such as those described above are not the only potential warning sign of a traumatic brain injury. People who experience such injuries may also notice mental or emotional side effects after the accident. Often, these can manifest as trouble with concentration or memory. People may also find it difficult to navigate and get lost more easily. The symptoms may also include changes in personality, such as anger management or impulse control problems. Additionally, people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury may have difficulty properly expressing their emotions or controlling emotional expressions, such as crying or laughing without any clear trigger.
Traumatic brain injuries are serious medical conditions that can have a profound impact on a person's life. If you or a loved one experienced a traumatic brain injury following a car accident, you should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to learn more about your rights.