What Are Common Concussion Symptoms?

Were you recently in a car accident? Do you think you may have a concussion, but you are not sure? 

Many people don’t realize that they have a concussion immediately or at all — especially since this type of brain injury is usually a closed injury (no open wound). 

If you think you might be suffering from a concussion, or have recently suffered any type of head trauma, you need to see a doctor right away. Here are some ways to tell whether you might have a concussion.

If you do, you’ll want to think about hiring an Austin personal injury attorney to help you seek compensation for your injuries.

If you experience any of the following, you could have a concussion:

• Issues with your memory, such as blank gaps between events
• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling confused and disoriented
• Blacking out at the scene
• Slurring your words
• Vomiting and nausea
• Fatigue and a general sense of feeling run down and exhausted
• Problems processing and answering questions
• Difficulty tracking movements with your eyes
• Feeling overly sensitive to noises and light
• Notable changes in your personality
• A ringing sound in your ears or seeing bright lights, especially right after impact

Many of these symptoms will show up right away or they may be delayed by a few hours or even a number of days.

Additionally, more and more research has been coming out suggesting that there are significant long-term impacts that come from concussions, as well.

Concussions occur when your brain bounces around inside your skull or experiences rapid, whiplash-type movement and crashes into the inside of your skull.

Some of the most common ways people get concussions include:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Falls
• Playground injuries
• Sports injuries, such as
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Ice hockey
  • Wrestling
  • Soccer

Even if you know you hit your head during one of these times, it’s not always clear that you’ve been severely hurt.

Any time you are involved in a car accident, you should always seek medical care immediately. Adrenaline pumps through us after a dangerous experience like that, so you might not feel any injuries, but they could pop up later. 

It’s best to see a doctor and explain the situation on the front-end, just to be sure. Plus, having these medical records will help your attorney prepare for your Austin personal injury case.

One of the things a doctor will do during your visit is conduct a neurological exam. If you suffered a concussion, your doctor will probably tell you that all major physical and concentration activities should be avoided for some period of time.

Of course it’s impossible to control everything, but there are some ways to try to avoid concussion injuries, even when you get into a car accident.

1. Use your seat belt: Any time you’re in a car, make sure you and your passengers are all buckled up. Also, be sure children are in age-appropriate safety seats and/or riding in the back, depending on their age. 

For other concussion-risk activities: 

1. Use helmets: When you or your children are bicycling, skating, or playing more dangerous sports (football, softball/baseball etc.) AND when riding a motorcycle.
2. Prevent serious falls: Remove small area rugs, improve lighting and install handrails in the home to keep yourself and others safe.

Watch for the above symptoms in the wake of a car accident to see if you have been injured in ways that you didn’t realize at first.

If you have, it may be possible to seek compensation for your injuries, so it’s good to know about all of your legal rights and the steps you can take to obtain this compensation in Texas.

Contact the Stewart Law Firm today for compassionate and action-based help with your case.