Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) often have a big, lasting impact on your overall health and quality of life. The slower you are to act, the more severe this repercussion may be. Thus, the best way to handle a TBI is to treat it quickly.
And how do you treat a TBI quickly? By identifying it as soon as possible. You can do this by keeping an eye out for the signs as they occur.
Physical signs
Mayo Clinic discusses the potential signs that might point to a traumatic brain injury. These signs often fall into one of three categories: physical, mental and emotional or behavioral.
Physical symptoms often prompt attention fast, due to their obvious and noticeable nature. They may include extremely notable ones like unconsciousness, coma, vomiting or losing clear fluid from the ears or nose. Other symptoms can include piercing headaches that worsen over time. Some victims experience nerve issues, like numbness in the hands and feet. Others may feel dizzy and nauseous.
The mental and behavioral impact
Mental symptoms often revolve around brain fog and confusion. Many TBI victims experience a period of memory loss. They may not recall where they are or what happened. It is common for victims to forget the incident leading to their injury.
The aforementioned symptoms often lead to or exacerbate behavioral symptoms, too. Due to confusion, victims might feel overwhelmed and lash out at others. They could grow combative and aggressive, refusing medical treatment. Other times, they may just suffer emotional breakdowns that can include crying and panic attacks. With such symptoms, it is important to get the victim to medical help as soon as possible.
