Being in a motor vehicle accident is a shocking experience.
As a result of the shock, victims sometimes self-assess their injuries quickly, and possibly inaccurately. In the absence of obvious trauma or pain, the natural inclination may be to tell emergency personnel one is feeling ‘okay’ and refuse medical treatment.
Unfortunately, the nature and severity of a head injury may not always be immediately obvious.
Brain injury and concussion awareness
The Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre has begun a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of the hidden nature of concussions, a type of brain injury commonly suffered in an accident.
The centre is distributing information cards to first responders, alerting them to the potential for a concussion, even when trauma is not visible.
A concussion is caused by sudden and extreme movement of the brain within the confines of the skull.
Many people erroneously associate a loss of consciousness with all concussion cases. However, a concussion can happen without the victim ever blacking out.
Symptoms of a concussion may not become evident until more than a week after the event. Signs include, but are not limited to headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory loss, light sensitivity and even seizures and convulsions.
Serious cases can cause changes in personality, mood disorders and cognitive impairment.
After an accident, it is important for a victim to undergo a medical examination.
Long-term repercussions of head injuries
A head injury can have a debilitating effect on a person’s life, and it is crucial to get a diagnosis as soon as possible, rather than wait for serious symptoms to manifest.
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you feel you suffered from a concussion.
Record and communicate to your family doctor any unusual symptoms at all. Some of the more common symptoms that support suspicion of a closed head injury include:
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Word-finding problems
- Cognitive issues of any kind
- Ringing in the ears
- Balance issues or light-headedness
- Emotional lability that is out of the norm including irritability, crying, depressed mood/melancholy
- Lethargy and inability to initiate
- Fatigue, especially mental fatigue
Alert your family members and close friends to watch you for unusual symptoms or evidence of a severe head injury.
It’s also important to keep a journal for the first few months after your injury. This can prove to be a key aspect of any legal action.
