Traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI, is one of the most insidious types of injuries that people can experience. Although they are fairly common in many different types of accidents, they often go unrecognized and undiagnosed, causing them to be referred to as the “invisible injury.” If you or someone you love has recently suffered a head injury, be on the lookout for these signs of a TBI:
- Headaches
- It doesn’t take a genius to know that getting hit in the head, or having your head shaken, might result in a headache. However, most such headaches respond to over-the-counter medication, or disappear after a certain period of time. In the case of a TBI, though, conventional medication is unlikely to help much, and they may persist for days or weeks. In addition, they may intensify over time, until the point they become unbearable.
- Dizziness or nausea
- A TBI may also, depending on the nature of the harm you have suffered, cause dizziness or nausea. Like the headaches caused by a TBI, this dizziness and nausea is often resistant to conventional medication, and can last for a long amount of time. More severe cases can result in vomiting or vertigo, making it difficult for victims to handle many simple tasks.
- Mental distress
- If you have suffered from a serious accident, it’s pretty normal to deal with psychological problems afterwards, even if you haven’t suffered a traumatic brain injury. However, TBIs can not only cause psychological issues like depression or anxiety, they can also make existing problems worse. Many people with existing mental disorders may suffer a TBI and not realize there is a physical cause for their worsening conditions until long afterwards.
- Mood swings
- In addition to problems like depression and anxiety, a TBI can also cause mood swings. These mood swings involve wild changes in a person’s temperament, often without apparent explanation or cause. While mood swings can have a number of potential causes, someone starting to experience mood swings after an accident can be a sign that they have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
- Memory problems
- Losing one’s memory after a serious head injury is one of the classic signs of a TBI, to the point where it is something of a cliche. While even people who do not suffer a TBI may have hazy memories about the accident they were in, victims may lose days, weeks, or months of memories. In some cases, their ability to form new memories may also be impaired, making them seem increasingly forgetful for no apparent reason.
- Sleeping issues
- It is fairly common for people to suffer from issues with their sleeping habits after suffering a major accident, but a TBI can make things that much worse. In some cases, they may find it difficult to wake up in the morning, or they may find themselves sleeping far more than they did previously. In other cases, they may find it nearly impossible to fall asleep, no matter how tired they get. Either way, it could signal a TBI.
- Changes in appetite
- As with many other symptoms of a TBI, someone choosing to overeat, or losing their appetite, are common responses to the severe stress that can come from a major accident. These responses may not just be a normal stress response, however, and may instead be a sign of something far nastier. In the end, it may take a medical examination to determine whether these changes are mundane, or the result of a TBI.
