Brain Injury Misconceptions and Symptoms

Car accidents are a leading cause of brain injuries in the United States. Unfortunately, many individuals do not realize when they have suffered a brain injury after an accident. This, in itself, can potentially make the injury more serious. In addition, brain injuries may even be missed in emergency rooms causing accident victims not to have the treatment that they need after sustaining a serious injury. Delayed treatment can even cause death. This article will discuss misconceptions and symptoms of brain injuries suffered after a car accident.

For many, brain injuries are a source of confusion, including medical personnel. For example, some people believe that you have to hit your head on something in order to have a brain injury. However, the reality is that brain injuries can be caused after a person is involved in a minor accident. This can happen as a result of momentum caused by the collision that makes your brain hit areas of your skull. Therefore, you can sustain an injury of this nature without your head, making an impact on any portion of your car or another object. The brain’s collision with the skull can cause brain bleeding and swelling.

Another common misconception regarding brain injuries is that a person must be knocked unconscious so as to sustain a brain injury. While many individuals may become unconscious after sustaining an injury that results in a brain injury, this is not always the case. It is less likely for a person to become unconscious if they did not hit their head on an object. Some individuals are able to walk, talk, and act normally after sustaining a brain injury. As a result, this makes it even more difficult to properly diagnose a brain injury as most people expect to see symptoms of brain injury immediately after an accident. Some accident victims may not show symptoms of brain injury until hours, days, or even weeks after the incident.

Some common symptoms associated with brain injuries include the following:

• Headaches
• Drowsiness
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Memory loss
• Numbness
• Slurred speech
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Disorientation
• Difficulty walking or balancing
• Sensitivity to light and sounds

Another possible situation that can arise after a car accident is that the victim has post-concussive syndrome . This is a mild form of traumatic brain injury after a person sustains a concussion. As with other brain injuries, the victim may experience symptoms immediately after the accident or even months later. In some cases, the symptoms are permanent. Some symptoms of the post-concussive syndrome include the following:

• Changes in the victim’s personality
• Aggression
• Mood swings
• Agitation
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble experiencing the body’s sensors
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Insomnia