Traumatic brain injury is a serious type of injury that is often caused by a car accident. It can range in severity from mild to acute, but you should take even a mild TBI seriously. In Oklahoma, 20,000 people go to the hospital for a brain injury every year.
Symptoms of a TBI
If you are experiencing headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, memory problems, confusion or behavioral changes after a car accident, then you may have a TBI. You shouldn’t wait for symptoms to get worse before you see a doctor. Prompt treatment of a traumatic brain injury makes a difference in your recovery and helps prevent further damage to your brain. You need to rest and take it easy for a while after a traumatic brain injury.
Other symptoms of a TBI that usually indicate the injury is moderate or severe include repeated nausea and vomiting, weakness in the arms or legs, problems with thinking and learning and slurred speech. If you lost consciousness after the accident, this is a red flag as well. Loss of consciousness could be only for a few minutes or for several hours. Even with brief losses of consciousness, you need to take the injury seriously.
Symptoms could appear weeks later
Car accidents don’t always cause noticeable signs of injuries. Traumatic brain injury is an example of a car accident injury that doesn’t necessarily show immediate symptoms. You could have TBI symptoms days to weeks after the accident. Always get a checkup as soon as possible after a motor vehicle accident. If symptoms appear after your initial checkup, go to the doctor again for further investigation. Sometimes, a doctor can’t catch an injury during the first examination.
Traumatic brain injuries can cause lifelong damage or death if they’re not treated quickly. You should get a checkup after a car accident even if the car that hit you was only going 15 mph. Accidents at slower speeds still have the potential to cause head and neck injuries.
