Traumatic brain injuries can have life-changing impacts on a person’s life, and understandably so because they result from injuries to the brain either through a massive blow to the head or injury by a penetrative object into the brain matter.
However, not all types of traumatic brain injuries have quite dramatic symptoms, and a mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) is one such injury. They result from a relatively minor blow to the head or a jerking of the head, causing injuries to the brain tissue.
While most mild TBIs resolve in a few weeks, some can affect the victim’s life in the long term.
Symptoms of a Mild TBI
If you have suffered a blow to the head in an accident, you need to pay attention to your symptoms, as it can help you identify signs of a mild TBI, also known as a concussion. Symptoms like passing out briefly, headache, memory loss, confusion, loss of balance, sensitivity to light and noise, problems keeping balance, tingling in your fingers, etc., are indicative of a concussion.
However, other injuries can present similar symptoms, so it is best to have a doctor make that determination. Also, it is important to note that concussions can go undetected for days because they tend to have delayed symptoms.
Unfortunately, taking too much time before seeking medical attention for a mild TBI can introduce treatment gaps, which can result in complications when seeking compensation for the long-term effects of a concussion. A timely hospital visit helps create a link between an accident and symptoms that could show days after the accident. Which is why personal injury lawyers always insist on seeking medical attention even when you feel okay.
Long-Term Effects of a Mild TBI
While most effects of a concussion will be gone after 90 days of suffering an accident, and this is for cases of severe injuries, there are situations where the effects of an injury can last years or a lifetime. Common long-term effects of a mild TBI on a person’s life include:
LONG-TERM MEMORY LOSS
Memory loss is pretty common after a concussion. However, it involves losing a recollection of the few minutes before and after an injury.
In some cases, the affected person can start remembering things once forgotten. However, in severe cases, memory loss can impact a person’s life in the long term.
DEPRESSION
Many people will develop symptoms of depression after a concussion, usually as a result of chemical changes resulting from the brain injury. While most symptoms will disappear as the brain recovers, some people may have to live with the symptoms for an extended period.
In some cases, symptoms of depression won’t show until some time after other symptoms are gone.
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
In most cases, the effect of a mild TBI on a person’s thinking and cognitive abilities resolves in a few months at most.
But there is no guarantee that your cognitive abilities will return to your pre-injury levels, especially with relatively severe concussions or injuries that went undetected for a long time.
Treatment and Support for Mild TBI
You may not need hospitalization after a TBI. Often, doctors focus on treating the symptoms and may prescribe cognitive and behavioral therapy to address the psychological and injury effects on a person’s mental well-being.
If the injuries resulted from an accident and another person’s negligence was to blame, you could consider talking to a personal injury lawyer to help recover damages.
