Signs and Symptoms of Brain Injury: What to Look For Before It’s Too Late

5 Signs and Symptoms of Brain Injury You Shouldn’t Ignore

You can’t physically see a brain injury, like you can with a broken bone. If you or your loved one has recently experienced an accident, it’s extremely important that you look out for the common signs and symptoms of brain injury.

Catching a brain injury early can mean a higher chance that brain damage won’t be as severe or permanent.

If your head hurts after a car accident, don’t take it lightly. Make sure you pay attention to the pain you’re feeling and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Not all injuries are visible to the eye. But sometimes it’s the ones we can’t see that can do the worst amount of damage. That’s why it’s so important to be prepared, alert, and safe.

Read this list of the signs and symptoms of brain injury so you know everything you need to be on the lookout for. You never know when you’re going to need to use it.

 

Woman laying on couch with head pain. Signs of brain injury can include headache and physical symptoms.

1. Physical Signs of a Brain Injury

Physical signs of a brain injury are going to be your most obvious indication.

The severity of a brain injury is measured firstly by the amount of time one loses consciousness. Mild traumatic brain injury is classified as a loss of consciousness for under 30 minutes, while a severe injury is a loss of consciousness for over 6 hours.

One of the most important indicators of brain injury is headache. Naturally, when you hit your head after a car accident, or other incident, it’s going to hurt. But a headache can indicate the pain isn’t going away, and that there are more internal issues going on.

Here are a few other common physical signs:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Fluids draining from the nose or the ears
  • Dilated pupils
  • Loss of appetite
  • Stiffness in the neck

Sleep patterns can also be affected. Look for anything unusual, from sleeping to little to too often, or signs of fatigue. With more severe brain injuries, the victim could also suffer an inability to wake up from sleep.

One of the scarier signs of a brain injury are seizures or convulsions. Any type of seizure could occur, and it could result in altered consciousness, perception, or motor function.

Seizures are most common within the first week of a brain injury, but for more severe cases, they could be recurring for the unforeseeable future. This is known as post-traumatic epilepsy.

 

Caregiver hand on elderly arm. Cognitive brain injury symptoms are important to know.

2. Cognitive Symptoms

The human brain is extremely fragile, and it’s the hub that controls everything else your body does. When it becomes damaged, your cognitive function can become impaired.

Here are some of the symptoms of brain damage to look out for in the cognitive category:

  • Inability to recognize objects
  • Memory loss
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Confusion
  • Trouble paying attention or focusing
  • Slow processing of information

Often, those who suffer the cognitive symptoms of brain damage are unable to perform the functions they used to. In Ontario, the majority of people who suffer a brain injury are never able to return to work.

Conte Jaswal can help you make a long term disability claim if you or your loved ones are left unable to work.

 

Man frustrated on the phone after coping with brain injury.

3. Linguistic Issues

Some specific language issues from brain injury to look out for include slurred speech, speaking either too slow or too fast, and issues with reading or writing.

In addition, sometimes a brain injury victim will have trouble reading and writing. They cannot process words the same way they used to, and will often require treatment to help re-learn these skills.

Severe brain damage can also cause aphasia, a communication disorder that occurs when the side of the brain that processes language is damaged. Aphasia sufferers have difficulty speaking, reading, writing, and understanding language.

 

Woman stressed with head pain. Loss of senses is one of the hardest symptoms of brain injury.

4. Loss of the Senses

Brain injury symptoms can occur in all of the 5 senses as well. Here’s how it could affect each sense.

Touch: Those who are suffering might lose their sense of touch, experience numbness in the fingers or toes, and lose sense of feeling temperature as well.

Taste: Loss of, or limited, sense of taste and smell can also be symptoms to look out for. Sometimes, the injured will experience an unusual or unpleasant taste in their mouth.

Sight: Brain injury victims could experience the following issues with vision:

  • Limited vision
  • Loss of vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Blurred vision
  • Double vision
  • Issues determining distance
  • Weakness of eye muscles

Hearing: Victims of a brain injury could experience ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus. Additionally, there could be an increased sensitivity to sounds or a loss or decrease in the ability to hear.

Smell: Brain injury can also cause anosmia, which is a loss of decline in sense of smell.

 

Depressed person holding sad face. Dealing with the signs and symptoms of brain injury is hard.

5. Behavioural Symptoms

When assessing the symptoms of brain injury, one of the main indicators can be your loved one’s altered behaviours, including social interactions and emotions.

  • Mood swings
  • Feelings of depression or anxiety
  • Irritation or agitation
  • Combative or violent behaviour
  • Trouble interacting with others (such as sharing, taking turns, etc.)
  • Lack of self-control
  • Inaccurate body image
  • Impulsiveness

In addition to this list, look for any signs that you or your loved one has had an overall change in personal behaviour. For example, if your brother used to be shy, timid, and quiet, but now he is more irritable and loud, he could be experiencing a brain injury.

 

Child sitting alone with teddy bear. Head injury in children can cause serious brain issues.

Extra Brain Injury Symptoms to Look For in Children

Children’s brains are at much different stages in life than our fully developed adult brains, and therefore there are a few different symptoms children might experience if they suffer a brain injury.

Newborn children, and those under 4 years old, are even more susceptible to brain injuries due to the fragile, developing nature of their brains.

It’s important to look for signs of head injury in younger children because they do not have strong communication skills to report these symptoms on their own.

Here are some symptoms to look out for in young children:

  • Constant crying
  • Increased irritability
  • Change in ability to pay attention or focus
  • Loss of interest in their favourite toys
  • Changes to sleep patterns (too much, too little, harder time falling asleep, etc.)
  • Sadness or depression

If it’s an infant, look for changes in nursing, eating, or drinking.

 

Personal injury lawyer shaking hands with brain injury client.

Conte Jaswal Will Fight For The Best Brain Injury Settlement

When you or someone you love is suffering from a brain injury, you need the best personal injury lawyer on your team. That’s where Conte Jaswal comes in.

Our passionate team is highly experienced in dealing with traumatic brain injury claims. This experience has helped us understand what it takes to go up against the big insurance companies and win.

We want to help you get the compensation you need to move on with your life. We’ll be your advocate on this journey, and we’ll stay by your side to fight for you until you get the compensation you need to move forward with your life.

Are you ready to get the justice you deserve? Book your free consultation now!

Best personal injury lawyer in Toronto for brain injury settlements.

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