How Do Serious Concussions Happen?
There are a number of accidents that could result in a head injury. When the head is bumped, hit, or jolted, there a possibility the brain will move rapidly inside the skull. This results in a concussion that changes how the brain normally functions and is considered a mild traumatic brain injury.
While a mild concussion typically heals with proper treatment and rest, more serious concussions can lead to severe conditions or impairments. If you were hit in the head during a car accident or while playing a sport, it’s best to get examined by a medical professional as soon as possible. Without the proper diagnosis, an untreated concussion could lead to a worsening condition.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly three million people visit emergency rooms, become hospitalized, or die because of a traumatic brain injury every year. Recognizing and causes of serious concussions can significantly reduce the number of people who are injured each year.
Leading Causes of Serious Concussions
While anyone could find themselves in an accident that results in a concussion, there are certain events that are more likely to cause one. Falls, motor vehicle crashes, sports, unintentionally being hit, and assaults are among the most common incidents that result in emergency room visits.
For all age groups, car accidents are one of the main causes of serious concussions. During an accident, the vehicle is likely to stop while the people inside keep moving forward. Because of this, it’s possible the occupants could hit their heads. The driver is most at risk because of the placement of the steering wheel.
Depending on how someone falls, they could hit their head on the ground or another hard surface. These happen most often when someone takes a tumble down stairs and on construction sites. Construction workers, and others in potentially dangerous fields of employment are also at risk of being unintentionally struck by an object.
Children are most at risk for a concussion while playing sports. Ice hockey, football, and soccer are the most dangerous activities. This is often because the players do not have the safety equipment they need. Also, if a child gets hit in the head during a game, they may worry about missing out or letting their team down. The longer someone waits to get checked out by a doctor, the worse the injury could get.
Warning Signs of a Concussion
There are different warning signs of a brain injury for adults and children. This is because of brain development and how people of different ages react to possible injuries.
For an adult, they should contact their doctor right away if they’ve had a blow to the head and have a headache that won’t go away, are experiencing a decrease in coordination, cannot stop vomiting, or have slurred speech. A person needs to be taken to the emergency room immediately if they appear drowsy or unconscious, have one pupil larger than the other, are having seizures, cannot recognize where they are or who they are with, or are easily confused or agitated.
Children should always be taken to the emergency room after a jolt to the head. The most common warning signs of a concussion in a child include any of the danger signs discussed above, the inability to stop crying, and the inability to eat or nurse.
Concussion Symptoms
Concussion symptoms are grouped into four categories, including thinking and remembering, physical, emotional and mood, and sleep disturbances. When most people experience one or more of the symptoms, it’s likely they will recover within days or weeks. For some people, however, the symptoms could last for months or come with other consequences.
The thinking and remember symptoms include difficulty thinking clearly, feeling slowed down, difficulty processing and remember new information, and difficulty concentrating. When someone is physically affected, they may have a headache, be nauseous, have balance problems, feel dizzy or tired, have a sensitivity to light or noise, and experience blurry vision. Emotionally, a person may be irritable, sad, more emotional than normal, or anxious. When someone experiences sleep disturbances, they may be sleeping more or less than usual or have trouble falling asleep.
A concussion is no simple matter. There’s a possibility the victim could be dealing with the consequences for years. If you believe your injury should have been prevented, you may be able to take legal action with the help of our lawyers. For more information, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with us today.
