Possible Hidden Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most serious types of harm that can come from an accident. Some signs of TBI are immediately obvious or detectable. Emergency room doctors usually look for life-threatening conditions like bleeding or swelling that show up on MRIs or CT scans. But other symptoms are not so readily apparent. If you or a family member might have suffered a head impact in an accident, you need to be on the alert for delayed effects.

In the days, weeks and months following an auto accident, fall or other incident, you may begin to experience physical health challenges or changes in your mood and behavior. Relatives, friends and acquaintances may notice things about you that are different. These could be signs that you suffered a serious concussion or other mild TBI that has so far gone undiagnosed. The following hidden TBI symptoms could signal a latent brain injury:

• Personality changes — Those around you may notice that you’ve become short-tempered, disinterested, anxious, sad or more emotional since your accident.
• Physical issues — You may find that you are bothered by light or noise, experience dizziness, have headaches, feel nauseous or have vision problems.
• Mental fatigue — You might feel exhausted, not necessarily physically but mentally. You may find that you need to rest during the day even if you are not being physically active.
• Thinking, memory and concentration — You may have problems concentrating and keeping your attention focused. Your thoughts may be jumbled and unclear. You might struggle with remembering things and feel generally like you’re thinking slowly, as though things are foggy. These all contribute to the mental fatigue mentioned above.
• Sleep —You might be sleeping a lot more than usual or a lot less. You could have trouble falling asleep or be sleeping at unusual times during the day compared to your pre-injury life.
• Speech — Difficulty speaking afflicts many people with TBIs. Slurred speech usually appears right away, but occasionally manifests itself later. 

Hidden brain injury symptoms like these can have long-term effects on your overall physical health, mental health and cognition. TBIs have links to anxiety, depression and substance abuse if left untreated. No matter how long ago your head injury occurred, do not hesitate to visit a medical center for testing. Some of these symptoms show up slowly over time. Your doctor needs to be aware if any of them start happening to you.

If your accident may have been due to someone else’s reckless or negligent act, you should reach out to a qualified New Jersey injury lawyer, who can help you recover compensation for medical treatment, therapy and other expenses.

The attorneys at Seigel Law in Ridgewood, New Jersey have recovered compensation for numerous clients who sustained TBIs in auto accidents, workplace accidents, slips and falls and more. To arrange a free consultation with a member of our team, please call 201-444-4000 or contact us online today.