A car accident can change your life in many ways, especially if your injuries are severe. Some injuries, like some types of brain trauma, can cause difficulties for victims that may last for months or even permanently. Traumatic brain injuries are common car accident injuries, and if you are suffering from a TBI, you may find you need ongoing medical support and care.
A TBI is not always immediately noticeable, or the severity of an impact on the brain may not be immediately evident. These injuries can quickly worsen, and what may seem like a minor concussion may quickly become a serious medical emergency. TBIs are complex and unpredictable, and it is essential for you to have adequate care so that you can hopefully mitigate some of these effects of this type of injury.
Signs of a TBI
TBIs can be different for each person. The way it affects you depends on the force of the impact, the location of the injury, and your health at the time of the accident, as well as other factors. According to the CDC, there were approximately 214,110 TBI-related hospitalizations and over 69,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States annually, with motor vehicle crashes accounting for approximately 25% of all TBI-related hospitalizations. Some of the most common signs of a TBI include the following:
- Continued fatigue or drowsiness
- Inability to concentrate
- Trouble with speech and processing conversation
- Ongoing dizziness and trouble balancing
These are the physical signs that you suffered a TBI. You may find this injury also affects your senses, and you may experience the following issues:
- Oversensitivity to light
- Difficulty handling noise
- Lingering bad taste in your mouth
- Changes in your sense of smell
Changes in Cognition
You may find you are experiencing changes in your cognitive function as well. These things can worsen in the days following an impact to the head in a car accident, and it’s important to be aware of these signs as they can indicate a more serious type of brain injury than you originally thought you had. Symptoms and side effects from any type of TBI can last for months, and some victims may find they struggle for years after an accident.
