There are many different types of traumatic brain injuries but all of them should be considered medical emergencies. Anyone suspected of having a traumatic brain injury, even if no blood or wounds are apparent, should immediately be taken to an emergency room. According to the National Institute of Neurological disorders and Stroke, traumatic brain injuries are often caused by a common event – the head coming into some sort of collision with a solid object.

Concussions

The most common type of traumatic brain injury is a concussion. This can happen from playing sports, falling to the ground, a car accident or any time the head strikes a hard object. Concussions vary in severity and may require hospitalization, even if the person states that they are feeling fine. Someone that suffers from a concussion may not feel the symptoms until up to two days after the impact.

Symptoms of a concussion include sudden memory loss, dizziness, headache, nausea, problems talking and more confusion than the person normally experiences. Although many concussions can heal by themselves, they can also be the symptom of a skull fracture, brain lesion, brain contusion or other injury that may not show up until much later.

Other Types

Many other types of traumatic brain injures do not leave a visible mark on a person’s head unless a person was hit in the face where skin discoloration and swelling is more easily visible. Brain contusions, for example, can cause swelling of the brain, or bleeding inside of the brain, but usually do not show any external signs on the head.

Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries other than concussions often resemble a stroke. The patient may have problems moving one side of the body, have problems talking or seeing out of one or both eyes, problems hearing, fainting and memory loss. This may be accompanied by severe headache, nausea, vomiting and dilation of one or both pupils. If left untreated, these symptoms can become debilitating, such as developing personality changes or seizures.

Diagnosing Brain Injuries

When in the hospital, a patient is often examined for the worst possible thing first. If a patient is still conscious, standing and not showing any signs of stroke, then the patient is often subjected to x-rays, and MRI or some other diagnostic tool in order to be sure the skull is not fractured or a blood vessel is not swelling up inside of the brain. If a person is complaining of symptoms similar to a stroke, then the patient’s heart may be checked to be sure there it isn’t a stroke. If the heart is beating normally, then the patient will be given x-rays or other imaging scans.

Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.