All head injuries should be considered serious because of the risk of a brain injury. Anyone who has harmed one’s head must stay vigilant for signs of underlying damage to one’s brain.
These injuries could impact the rest of your life across all levels of functioning. Here are some points that you should remember about brain injuries:
Many causes
Falls are the primary cause of brain injuries. These occur in a host of ways, including falls down stairs and slipping on ice. Car crashes, violent attacks, explosives and sports are other common causes. However, there are infinite ways one can dramatically injure one’s head, as it only take a second for an accident to take place, in any context.
You should realize that these injuries don’t always require that you hit your head. It is possible that you might suffer a brain injury if your head is moved in a violent manner, such as if you are in a crash that flings your head around.
Some groups are more likely to suffer this type of injury
There are some groups of people who are more likely to suffer a brain injury. These include young children who are up to four years old, people who are 15 to 24 years old, and adults who are 75 or older. Males are more likely to suffer such injuries than females.
Impacts are often serious
The impacts depend on the location and severity of the injury. Some of the first impacts of a traumatic brain injury include a headache, altered consciousness, difficulty concentrating, vomiting, altered sight and ringing in the ears. Falling into a coma and having cognitive changes might also occur.
The impacts of the brain injury may not be apparent right away. It could take days or weeks for some of the effects to show up. Ultimately, the lasting impacts depend on the treatments that a victim goes through and extent of the injury. Some effects might be lifelong while others abate after some time.
Living after a brain injury
Life after a brain injury might not be the same as what it was before. Your life could become a string of doctors’ visits and therapy appointments. You may have to learn how to do basic life skills again. The effects of the injury could make it difficult to do your job. All of this can impact your ability to support yourself. You will need to find ways to live your life in the fullest way possible. Certainly, if the damage was caused through no fault of your own, enlist legal support to investigate options for seeking compensation.