When you’ve been involved in a collision on a West Virginia roadway, the hours, days and weeks that follow after may be emotionally, physically and financially challenging for you. An emergency room doctor was hopefully able to determine the extent of your physical injuries and provide proper treatment. It’s possible, however, to have suffered injuries such as brain trauma that may not have been immediately apparent at the time of the accident.
This is why it’s so important to closely monitor your condition for several weeks after a motor vehicle crash. There are symptoms that may arise that should prompt you to revisit your primary care physician or an emergency room. After a car accident, you should start to feel a bit better each day. If you don’t believe your recovery is progressing, or a new symptom arises, it’s always a good idea to seek additional medical attention.
These symptoms are common among brain trauma patients
When another vehicle hit you, the initial impact may have caused you to hit your head or to be suddenly and forcefully thrust forward or jarred from side to side. Any of these issues can cause a traumatic brain injury. From a concussion to a fractured skull or bleeding on the brain, the following list includes symptoms that suggest brain trauma:
- Feeling faint or passing out
- Trouble remembering things or people
- Fluid leaking from nose or ear
- Bruising behind the ear
- Vomiting or nausea
- Disturbances in sleep patterns
- Lack of appetite for food
- Extreme fatigue
- Words slurring
- Confusion
- Mood swings
- Headache, facial discomfort or ringing in the ear
- Numbness anywhere on the body
Many of these symptoms may be delayed, meaning you wouldn’t necessarily experience them moments after a collision. It’s understandable that you’d feel upset, anxious or tired after going through a stressful experience, especially a car accident. However, any one of those issues might mean that you have suffered an injury to your brain.
Getting the treatment and care you need
When you report symptoms to your primary care doctor or a doctor at a hospital, it’s important to make sure you inform him or her that you’ve recently been involved in a collision. This information alerts them right away to the possibility of a brain injury, and they will know exactly what types of tests to do to rule it out or confirm it.
While it’s possible to fully recover from a traumatic brain injury, it’s also possible to have a permanent disability. Many brain injury patients lose their sense of smell or taste or have erratic mood swings, even after healing has taken place. You’ll need lots of rest and care, from close friends and family members to a medical team that is experienced in helping brain injury patients. Such care can create a financial burden, but there are often options available to help cover expenses.
