Straight Track #131

Checklist For Traumatic Brain Injury

Hoey & Farina
info@felahfd.com
312-939-1212 / 888-425-1212

When you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, falling accident, or receive a blow to the head, you may experience a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries are now known to be much more common that previously estimated. They can even occur when the head does not collide with anything. An abrupt stop, such as one resulting in whiplash, can injure the brain.

Generally, the more obvious the symptoms are evaluated by medical personnel in hospital emergency rooms. After completing the various diagnostic procedures available to identify the symptoms of traumatic brain injury you may still not obtain a specific diagnosis of traumatic brain injury. This is partly due to the fact that many of the procedures used in the emergency room are not fool-proof, and a traumatic brain injury could conceivably be missed.

In order to insure that we have served you as well as possible, here is a list of symptoms which you can use in identifying traumatic brain injury. These symptoms indicate the possibility of traumatic brain injury and may require professional management or attention. They are signs that should be studied and monitored by medical professionals.

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Ringing or buzzing in your ears

• Extra sensitivity to light 

• Blurry or double vision

• Increased sensitivity to noise 

• Changes in your taste or smell

• Increased susceptibility to mental and physical  fatigue

• Changes in your appetite

• Problems with sleep

• Problems with sexual functioning

• Changes in your energy levels

• Problems with memory

• Impaired concentration

• Problems in the organization of your thinking

• Difficulty in reading or understanding what you read

• Blocking on words while speaking

• Misspeaking more frequently than usual

• New problems with spelling

• Problems with arithmetic and calculation

• Problems with perception

• Slow responsiveness

There are also some additional concerns which you may notice. These include:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Irritability

• Lack of Patience

• Uncontrolled anger or a volatile disposition

• Socially inappropriate behavior such as offending others with greater than normal frequency

Some of these symptoms may be more apparent to your family and friends as opposed to yourself. In the case of brain injury, it is important to trust the perceptions of others.

It will be important to discuss these symptoms with your physician. You also many contact the Brain Injury Association of America at (800) 444-6443 or visit their Web site at www.biausa.org.

A final word. 

Symptoms of traumatic brain injury resolve very slowly (months to years) and frequently not completely. Professional assistance in dealing with these symptoms can dramatically improve the quality of one’s life and possibly help with ensuing employment and marital difficulties, where behavior changes frequently impact.

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