What should you expect if you suffer a traumatic brain injury?

One of the consequences of being involved in a serious accident can be a severe head injury that causes concussion or even permanent damage to the brain. For sufferers, the effects can be life-changing and catastrophic.

This isn’t the case for everyone and side effects can subside within a few days. There are, however, some changes to your health, physically and mentally, that you can expect to see as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Immediately after the incident

Depending on the severity of your injuries, immediate signs of head trauma can be dizziness, ringing in the ears, confusion and pain in the head and neck. In cases where the injury is more severe, it may cause you bleeding, loss of consciousness and vomiting.

Long-term consequences

For many people, the symptoms of head trauma may subside within a few days or a couple of weeks.

In the event of serious traumatic brain injuries, however, there can be lasting and permanent changes to your cognitive functions. These can affect a person in many ways, including:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Memory loss
  • Constant headaches
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sleep problems
  • Personality changes

Many of the above are not standalone symptoms. For example, anxiety and depression can be worsened by an inability to sleep, feeling unwell and also from a general loss of enjoyment for life due to personality changes brought on by the trauma. This can have an impact on relationships, work and hobbies. Things that you used to be good at and enjoy doing are no longer possible or fun which can leave people feeling a sense of loss.

A traumatic brain injury can have life-changing consequences to your health, career and relationships. Seeking compensation for your injuries gives you the best chance at having the time you need to recover.