7 Signs You Suffered a Concussion in Your Car Accident

It’s always important to see a medical professional after a serious 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 causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that in 2013, motor vehicle crashes were the third leading cause of TBI-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Signs of a Potential Concussion After a Car Crash

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 a week, but other times, concussions can be more serious.

BELOW ARE 7 SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE SUFFERED A CONCUSSION IN YOUR CAR ACCIDENT:

  1. The world is spinning. If you suffer from symptoms like dizziness, sensitivity to light, or nausea and vomiting after the accident, a concussion could be to blame.
  2. What is that ringing? If your ears are ringing, that could indicate that you suffered a blow to the head, even if you don’t remember it.
  3. What happened? It’s normal to feel stressed 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 the symptoms of a concussion. Confusion or memory loss may also show up days or weeks after the accident.
  4. 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.
  5. Headaches. This one makes sense, right? If you suffered a blow to the head, headaches would be a logical symptom.
  6. I feel so irritated. Mood changes, including irritability, aggressiveness, nervousness, or even depression, if you weren’t experiencing these before, could be signs of a potential concussion.
  7. I can’t concentrate. If you’re at work after the accident and you just can’t 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.

Other more serious symptoms include loss of consciousness and seizures.

Concussion Diagnosis and Treatment

Seeing a doctor after your accident helps protect you in case you decide to file a car accident lawsuit with a Pittsburgh personal injury attorney in the future. The action makes it clear that you were concerned about injuries and provides evidence that you did your due diligence to get the care you needed.

Your doctor will ask questions about the event and how you’re feeling, and will likely test your balance, concentration, coordination, hearing, memory, vision, and reflexes to make a diagnosis.

Even if the concussion isn’t diagnosed on the first medical visit, if you continue to experience any of the other symptoms above, don’t hesitate to see your doctor again.