Throughout the course of their lives, most people experience a blow to the head from time to time, and in many instances they do not suffer any ill effects. Unfortunately, even relatively minor impacts to the head can cause serious injuries. They are not always easy to diagnose if the victim does not connect their symptoms to a specific event, like a car accident or sports injury.
If you or someone you love suffers a blow to the head, it is always important for the injured person to receive a complete medical examination from a licensed medical professional. Our bodies often suffer injuries that do not cause immediate pain, especially in car accidents and other similar experiences. Without proper care, these injuries can leave us with lasting pain or destroy our professional and personal lives.
A relatively minor impact on a person’s head can cause a mild traumatic brain injury without them realizing it. Often, the symptoms of a mild TBI do not appear for days or even weeks after the initial impact. If the victim does not treat the injury when it happens, they may forget about it altogether by the time that the symptoms eventually emerge. Sadly, these symptoms can bring major destruction with them.
One of the most common symptoms of a mild TBI is a loss of ability to focus on one’s work or other familiar tasks and processes. The injury sometimes has the effect of disconnecting pathways in the brain that help a person perform a task easily once it is familiar, or making it more difficult for a person to learn how to perform a task that is well within their abilities.
This can frustrate the victim on its own, but another common symptom can make the matter even worse. Victims of head injuries who experience frustration often grow irrationally angry or respond in some other way that is out of character. If the victim and those around them do not know that the cause is a physical injury to their brain, it can appear as though a person has suddenly taken up very destructive, childish behavior. Few employers or spouses will put up with this change indefinitely, especially if they do not understand the cause.
These injuries may also disrupt a victim’s ability to interpret what they hear in conversation or read. Often, the victim does not realize this is happening, because they still understand all the individual words, but may lose the ability to interpret them properly through context clues.
This, too, can cause enormous problems in all the victim’s relationships, both professional and personal. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, the victim may find themselves quickly unemployed and at odds with the people they love the most.
The path to recovery from a brain injury can take time, even with proper treatment, but it is far better for everyone involved if the victim does work toward recovery instead of ignoring the issue. If you recently suffered a blow to the head, be sure to seek a full medical examination. Then consider the legal tools you can use to protect your rights and pursue fair compensation for your suffering and losses if some other party is liable.