Every year, 144,000 people sustain a traumatic brain injury in Texas. Sports, falls, car accidents, military training, combat and any other impact to the head could cause a brain injury. It’s a good idea to know what symptoms to watch for and how doctors diagnose a brain injury.
Methods for diagnosing
Doctors may run CT scans, MRI scans and Glasgow Coma Scale Test to diagnose a brain injury. Glasgow Coma Scale Test is a series of simple directions that tests a person’s ability to follow them. Brain injuries, especially those resulting from catastrophic injuries, could cause serious cognitive issues and physical disabilities.
Common treatments
Your doctor might prescribe you an anti-seizure medication or pain reliever. It depends on what symptoms you have, the severity of your injury and the affected part of your brain. Each part of the brain controls a different aspect of your body, such as hearing, vision and emotions. Some people may require surgery when they have a brain injury. Physical therapy and speech therapy are other common treatments that you might need.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a brain injury may be physical, emotional, mental or a combination. It depends on what area of the brain has sustained injury and the extent of that injury. Physical symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, weakness in the arms or legs, dizziness, balance problems, speech problems, fatigue and drowsiness. Emotional and mental symptoms that you could experience are irritability, anger, depression, anxiety, inability to focus, memory problems, mood swings, confusion and sleep problems. Sensory symptoms also sometimes occur, such as sensitivity to light and sound, a bad taste in the mouth, changes in your sense of smell, ringing in the ears and blurred vision.
Diagnosing a brain injury requires the help of a doctor. You could pay attention to symptoms of brain injuries to know when you need to get a checkup. If it has happened in the months after a head injury, then it’s important to inform your doctor of the previous head injury for them to consider the possibility that your headache isn’t just from stress.