What are the Most Common Symptoms of a Brain Injury After an Accident?

You need to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. TBI's can have a severe impact on your health especially if they go untreated. Also, their indications can be very hard to spot so you need to take special care to try to identify them. Here are some signs that an adult might have suffered a traumatic brain injury:

• The adult has nagging pain or stiffness in the neck;
• The adult has a problem focusing or making choices;
• The adult doesn't have a lot of energy;
• The adult has severe changes in mood;
• The adult has trouble sleeping; and
• The adult has various sensory disorders.

Here are some signs that a child might have suffered a traumatic brain injury:

• The child has a hard time sleeping;
• The child seems very cranky on a constant basis;
• The child loses his or her appetite;
• The child seems disinterested in playing or socializing; and
• The child has difficulty balancing and other sensory problems.

There might be other signs of brain injuries but these are some of the most crucial ones for kids and adults. To learn more about traumatic brain injuries, speak with your doctor or call our offices.

Right after a traumatic brain injury, you will experience a variety of effects on your body. First, the damaged tissue in your brain will respond to the incident by releasing chemicals and other things. Also, cells that were dislodged will come out and spill into the brain. 

These actions will create what is known as secondary brain cell death (the first brain cell death occurs upon impact). Then, the general processes in your body will undergo detrimental developments: you might lose consciousness; you might go into a coma; you might have trouble breathing; you might lose motor skills; and you might lose your energy. 

These developmental effects can last up to a few weeks. Eventually, you may also experience neurological effects such as confusion, amnesia, and disorientation. Many of these negative side-effects can subside but, importantly, the brain damaged brain cells will not regrow or improve. The parts of your brain that were impaired will always be so and this can cause you great difficulty in your future.