It is always important to see a trauma expert after a motor vehicle accident, even if you feel okay, because some injuries can take time to show up. One of these injuries is a concussion. A type of traumatic brain injury(TBI), a concussion occurs when a blow or jolt to the head caused the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Most of the time, people who suffer from concussions do not lose consciousness. Only the more serious forms of the injury cause the person to pass out for 30 minutes or more. The results of the injury are rarely seen in imaging scans, but the injury is real and it can cause short-term and sometimes long-term symptoms. In most cases, victims make a complete recovery within weeks, but other times, concussions can be more serious.
Here are some of the signs you may have suffered a concussion in your motor vehicle accident:
The world is spinning. If you have symptoms such as dizziness, sensitivity to light or nausea and vomiting after the accident, you might have a concussion.
Ring ring ring. If your ears are ringing, that could indicate that you suffered a blow to the head, even if you don’t remember it.
What happened? It’s normal to feel stress end and surprised after an accident, but if you are confused about things like the date, time of day or other common things that you are usually aware of, you could be suffering symptoms of a concussion. Confusion or memory loss may also show up days or weeks after the accident.
I can’t sleep. Sleep problems, particularly if you were sleeping well before the accident, could be indicative of a concussion. Insomnia is a possible symptom, but so is sleeping much more than usual.
Headaches.Makes sense, right? If you suffered a blow to the head, headaches would be a logical symptom.
I feel so irritated. Mood changes, anxiety, nervousness, aggressiveness or even feeling depressed. If you weren’t experiencing these before, could be signs of a potential concussion.
I can’t concentrate. If you’re at work after the accident and you just cannot focus on the task at hand, it could be that you’re just tired, but it could also mean that you’re suffering from a concussion.
The good news is that there is a growing awareness of concussions and other brain injuries, which may aid in the treatment of MVA patients to reduce the risk before their condition becomes chronic. Chiropractic care that includes a combination of active exercise/rehabilitation and passive manual therapy has been demonstrated to benefit patients with concussion symptoms following a motor vehicle injury. Our doctors at auto injury pain clinic are specialized in concussion evaluations and management and also triage concussion patients to a neurology specialist.