When you get into a serious car accident, there is a chance you could sustain a traumatic brain injury. According to the Brain Trauma Foundation, approximately 2.5 million people suffer from a brain injury every year.
You may experience brain injury symptoms right away, or they may develop days, weeks or even months after the collision. Symptoms also fall into four different categories and they can vary widely from person to person.
1. Physical
You may have a headache and problems with nausea and dizziness after incurring a brain injury. Other physical symptoms that can arise after your car accident include balance issues, sensitivity to light or sound and exhaustion.
2. Cognitive
After the accident, you may not be able to think clearly or feel slower to react than usual. You may also have a hard time concentrating and remembering new information.
3. Sleep
A brain injury can make you sleep more than usual or sleep less than usual. You may also have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
4. Emotion
Mood-related symptoms can develop with a brain injury, and some of these include irritability, sadness and anxiety. You may feel like you are generally more emotional than usual.
Most of the symptoms of a mild brain injury go away over time, but there are some serious symptoms that signify you need emergency medical treatment. These include repeated vomiting and nausea, decreased coordination, a headache that does not go away, seizures or convulsions, slurred speech, extreme confusion and a loss of consciousness.