What Is A Traumatic Brain Injury?

Housed within our skull our brain is the physical source of who we are, and serves to control and operate the body in which we live. Injury to the brain is always a serious concern, but a traumatic brain injury causes significant damage to our brain. Violent blows to the head, or penetration by an object or piece of the skull can result in a traumatic brain injury. These kinds of injuries are almost always life-threatening, and tend to have long term ramifications even after the initial injury is healed. Neurological and Spine Consultants in Fort Worth, TX are experienced in treated injuries like these and helping patients recover as much of a normal life as possible in their wake.

What Symptoms Accompany Traumatic Brain Injury?

As surprising as it may seem for such a critical condition, sometimes the presence of a traumatic brain injury isn’t immediately obvious. If you’ve experienced a blow to your head the symptoms of the injury can take hours or even days to appear. Symptoms come in two forms, physical and cognitive/mental.

Physical Symptoms Of Traumatic Brain Injury Include:

• Several minutes or hours of lost consciousness
• Headaches that are persistent or get worse
• Seizures and convulstions
• Pupil dilation in one or both eyes
• Nose or ears draining clear fluid
• Unable to wake up
• Numbness or weakness in toes and fingers
• Impaired Coordination

Mental or Cognitive Symptoms

• Speech that is slurred
• Consciousness disorders including coma
• Unusual behavior including agitation and combativeness
• Significant confusion

All of these symptoms are common in adults when a traumatic brain injury is present. Any single symptom can manifest alone, or multiple may appear at once. If any of these symptoms become evident in the wake of an accident or injury, seek medical assistance immediately.

Do Children Exhibit Different Symptoms Than Adults?

Symptoms of traumatic brain injury can be different in children, or may be difficult to identify if your child is nonverbal. Sensory problems, confusion, headaches, and other symptoms may be hard for them to communicate. The following symptoms may let you know if your child has experienced a traumatic brain injury.

• Nursing or eating habit changes
• Being unusually irritable or easy to irritate
• Difficulty being consoled when distressed
• Attention span changes
• Changes in sleeping patterns
• Mood changes, including sadness or depression
• Being drowsy or having difficult staying awake
• Losing interest in favorite things

If your child recently suffered an injury to the head and is exhibiting these signs it’s time to speak to a professional.

The first response to a head injury, no matter how mild, should be a visit to the doctor’s office. Dr. Diana Wilson and her team of neurological experts receive patients at their Neurosurgical and Spine Consultants office for concerns like these. When head injuries concern, give our office in Fort Worth, TX a call immediately to seek help and ensure that no serious damage has been done. The sooner any injury to the brain is identified, the better your chances of a full recovery, so don’t wait!