Common Signs of a Brain Injury, Causes, and Cures
Overview: Learn the common symptoms of brain injuries and how to get the due compensation
A brain injury happens when a sudden violent blow or an external assault damages the brain. This type of injury is a broad term that describes a massive array of injuries – from a mild bump or bruise to a skull fracture and concussion. Brain injury/deterioration occurs when the brain is starved of oxygen for a prolonged time. Treatments vary depending on the severity and cause of your brain injury. If left untreated, a brain injury may affect your brain cells.
A brain injury can be focal (confined to one area) or diffuse damage (in more than one area). While a head injury is one of the most common disabilities, the severity can range from a mild concussion to coma and even death. It’s hard to assess the seriousness of a brain injury by looking or guessing if the simple headaches you’re facing can lead to grave consequences. So let’s consider some more details of symptoms.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury:
A traumatic brain injury has wide-ranging physiological and psychological effects. Most of the time, it affects the cognitive abilities of a person. You might be feeling constant nausea or headache, considering it a seasonal fever or casual drowsiness – but it could be more serious than that.
The signs of a brain injury include physical, behavioral, sensory, and cognitive sensitivity. If you tripped or met with an accident and face any of these problems, take it seriously and seek medical attention immediately.
After a mild TBI, symptoms may be overwhelming to sort out as they’re similar to other health problems. Keep a close eye on this post-concussion or TBI symptoms:
- A person may not realize that they’re having problems.
- They may not understand how the symptoms are affecting their daily lives.
- When discussed, one may overlook such problems, considering them seasonal or so told by their friends, parents, or health advisors.
Danger Signs in Adults:
- Have a headache that doesn’t go away and keeps on getting worse.
- Constant nausea
- Facing speech problems or unusual behavior
- Having one pupil (the eyeball) larger than the other
- Doesn’t recognize people or places and feels agitated soon
- Lose consciousness from minutes to hours
- Inability to sleep/get up
- Drowsiness/fatigue
- Loss of balance
- A state of being numb
- Anger issues/mood swings
- Sensitivity to bright light and high-pitched
- Other symptoms such as blurred vision, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth
- Numbness in toes and tips of fingers
Traumatic Epilepsy:
Epilepsy can also result in a brain injury, but is more common with penetrating injuries. While some seizures occur immediately after the injury, it’s also possible for epilepsy to surface after years. Epilepsy includes both primary and partial seizures, depending on the severity of the condition.
Psychiatric Changes:
- Emotional liability
- Decreased motivation
- Irritability
- Apathy
- Anxiety & depression
- Dis-inhibition, aggression, lowered frustration tolerance, inappropriate sexual behavior/practices, temper flare-ups, and cursing.
In specific medical issues, it’s seen that patients show up or develop certain psychiatric disorders if the damage disrupts the chemical composition of the brain.
Regulatory Disruption:
- Headache
- Changes in sleeping patterns and eating habits
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Fatigue & dizziness
Social Difficulties:
- Impaired social capacities, affecting personal and professional relationships
- Difficulties in keeping up with friends/gatherings
- Problems understanding and responding to the nuances of social interaction
Seek emergency medical care if you or your loved ones receive a blow to the head or have an accident that concerns behavioral changes. The temporary disabilities may seem regular to you, but they can result in long-term complications or death.
Related Article: Types of Traumatic Brain Injury
Communication or Language Deficits:
- Aphasia – difficulty speaking or understanding
- Aphasia – difficulty choosing the right words
- Agraphia – difficulty thinking or writing
- Alexia – difficulty reading
- Apraxia – difficulty performing very usual chores, such as brushing teeth
- Hesitant and decreased vocabulary
- Problem identifying objects and their usage
Danger Signs in Children:
We know it’s hard to take, but kids play outside the house with their friends, and you never know when they will bang their heads somewhere. Sometimes, kids aren’t expressive, but parents can observe a behavior change whenever they’re mean or restless – and aren’t excited about things anymore. They may complain of some changes in their body, so listen closely.
- Having any danger signs from the list mentioned above
- Suddenly start crying and are inconsolable
- Lose appetite
If your infant is facing the same problems, you probably examine how you play with them. Adults often play with their kids and shake them while playing, disturbing their cognitive part, and resulting in unfavorable situations.
What Causes a Brain Injury?
It’s hard to surmise a few reasons for brain injuries as it varies from situation to situation. However, the most common injuries result from motor vehicle accidents, falls, drunk driving accidents, or violence.
In the USA, 2.6 million people face some type of brain injury every year – whether due to an existing trauma, accident, tumor, or other illness. The Brain Injury Association of America reports that 52,000 die yearly due to brain injury – not to forget those 5 million who need assistance while performing their daily activities.
Anyone facing a head or brain injury needs immediate medical attention – negligence may lead to adverse outcomes. An injury that seems like a mild concussion is equally severe. The critical factor is to locate the damage. Brain injury doesn’t necessarily end up in a disability or impairment, but a timely diagnosis and correct treatment are needed to minimize the damage.
In Summary:
Shapiro will get you the due compensation for your head and brain injury. In some of the top cases, Shapiro stands out for a notable verdict of $300 million that has been settled as the deserving compensation to the victims.
Even if you’re privileged enough to finance your medical treatment, the compensatory amount is your due right, and you deserve it. Rest assured, the professionals of William D. Shapiro Law, Inc. are a call away, perfectly aware of how they can help you win the case.
William Shapiro has handled catastrophic injury/wrongful death actions for over 4 decades obtaining numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. Honors include: 2022, 2016 and 2013 OCTLA “Top Gun” TLY; 2022 CAOC TLY Finalist; 2018 “Lifetime Achievement Award” Western State College of Law, 2021 & 2017 Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year; 2016 WSBCBA “TLY”; 2015 CAL-ABOTA “TLY”; 2014 “TLY” Consumer Attorneys of CAOIE; 2011 “Hall of Fame,” Western State College of Law; Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; International Academy of Trial Lawyers; International Society of Barristers; Diplomat, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA); National Board of Trial Advocacy; specialist in Trial Advocacy, State Bar of California; “Best Lawyers in America” and “Tier 1 Best Law Firms” U.S. News; AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell; SuperLawyers; Past President of: San Bernardino/Riverside chapter ABOTA; San Bernardino County Bar Association; Consumer Attorneys of Inland Empire; The Joseph. B. Campbell American Inn of Court; Consumer Attorneys of California; IE ; National Sec of ABOTA, Adjunct professor, Western State College of Law. Learn more here.