The definition for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) highlights the reason that such a condition could be of concern to an accident victim. Someone can develop a TBI after receiving a blow to the head. The impact associated with a car accident stands as an excellent example of the forces that can deliver that sort of blow.
Diagnosis of a TBI
No one can note the existence of that condition during a simple exam, such as might be conducted in a doctor’s office. Only a trained member of the medical profession knows how to check for a TBI’s presence. That professional has learned how to study a patient’s motor, verbal and eye responses.
Any one of those responses could indicate the need for further tests. Such tests might include performance of a CT scan or an MRI. The earlier examination should provide an insurance company with proof that such expensive procedures seem called for, in light of the patient’s responses. By studying the results of a CT scan or an MRI, a physician can check for the existence of a TBI’s tell-tale symptom. That is a bleeding or swelling in or around the brain. Unfortunately, that major physiological problem can produce rather insignificant symptoms.
Once a patient has sustained a traumatic brain injury, he or she may complain about headaches, nausea, trouble concentrating or an unusual level of fatigue. Frequently, a patient fails to pay much attention to such minor symptoms. Personal Injury Lawyer in Dartmouth knows that is why an accident victim needs to be examined by a doctor that has specialized in the field of neurology.
Treating a TBI
When caught in its early stages, this condition responds to rehabilitative therapies. As a patient receives such therapies, he or she might note a problem that sheds more light on the nature or severity of the patient’s condition. For instance, the therapist might learn that the patient has an earache.
An alert therapist should report that finding to the patient’s doctor. An ear infection could exaggerate and magnify the problematic nature of the brain’s existing condition. If not addressed, that infection could cause development of a TBI-associated complication.
Depending on the nature of that complication, a more extensive treatment might prove necessary. For instance, the patient’s condition might call for the performance of a surgical procedure. That could certainly be the case, if the early symptoms had been followed with more serious symptoms, such as dizziness or loss of balance.
A word for parents
Traumatic brain injuries can happen to both children, teens and adults of any age. Some of the symptoms, such as frustration, anxiety and depression can get overlooked or misinterpreted. Parents must keep in mind what experiences might have triggered such symptoms.