Brain Injury Symptoms

There are many types of brain injuries, some are mild, others moderate and even severe. While usually a person knows when they have been hit in the head, they have no idea if the injury is severe enough to require medical care. Any person who has sustained a brain injury needs to be carefully observed for 24 hours at least to ascertain if any symptoms are present. Brain injury symptoms can include: inattention, impaired memory, excessive sleepiness, faulty judgment, difficulty concentrating, irritability, disturbed sleep, diminished libido, depression and a large headache.

In the more severe closed head injury, brain injury symptoms are a long period of unconsciousness. The patient may suffer from seizures and severe, possibly permanent neurological deficits. As in a stroke, these deficits can include seizures, difficulty speaking, paralysis, and difficulty with thought processes. A penetrating brain injury, such as a gunshot wound, can display immediate severe symptoms or actually only mild ones at first. Anyone wounded like that should be taken immediately to a hospital.

These are the actions that should be taken with a person with a brain injury. After observing the person, the type of accident and their brain injury symptoms, the following are those which need a visit to a physician or a walk-in clinic: person struck or was struck with a hard object in the head but did not lose consciousness , mental confusion, a certain weakness or inability to walk, severe headache, vomiting more than once and drowsiness. A person should be taken to the Emergency Room by ambulance if they have a penetrating head injury, are unconscious longer than one minute, vomiting more than once, inability to walk or severe headache. The injured person should only be moved by medical professionals such as EMTs to prevent neck injury, if this is not possible you should immobilize the neck if moving the person.

A doctor may do medical tests such as a CT scan or X-Ray to see beyond the initial brain injury symptoms. They can then determine whether there is fluid causing pressure on the brain that might be drained off or other swelling that may eventually go away and alleviate some symptoms such as speech difficulties. The time period after a head injury is a difficult time for patients and their families. This is a period of intense uncertainty while determining how severe the injury is and if it will be life changing. Like a stroke victim, a person with a head injury may be paralyzed and lacking speech function, they may also have difficulty concentrating at the least and certainly these things could all change their employment status. The family will need to turn to a place like the Catastrophic Injury Resource Center where they can speak with compassionate people with the knowledge of the resources and legal compensation that they can receive. The family might be entitled to receive benefits to help with their expenses as well as the patient's expenses.

For experienced and empathetic help with an injury such as this please contact the Catastrophic Injury Resource Center at 1-800-669-7700 or visit their website at http://www.catastrophicinjury.com for more information.