Five Signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Symptoms of a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) or concussion can take a few days to a few weeks to be noticed, especially if you are addressing other physical issues. At the time of the injury you “walked it off” but later continued to have some lingering symptoms. Here are some common symptoms to be mindful of after an injury: 

1. Mood Swings: If your mood shifts from normally upbeat and happy to feelings of depression not attached to any emotional event or you are experiencing anger outbursts this may be a sign of a TBI. This could be due to the part of the brain (the frontal lobe) that controls our impulses being injured. 
2. Unexplained Headaches: If you continued to experience headaches with no cause this could also be a side effect of a TBI. 
3. Lack of Concentration or slower processing: Did your level of concentration and ability to process information may decrease after a head injury? Did you experience being easily confused or finding it difficult to get to places you never had an issue with before? Even completing simple house hold chores may be difficult
4. Communication Problems: Your basic language and communication skills might be affected. Signs of communication problems after a TBI include forgetting common words or losing your train of thought in the middle of speaking. 
5. Vision Problems: After a TBI your senses may be off especially your vision. Some symptoms of vision issues after a TBI include seeing double, decrease peripheral or no longer having 20/20 vision you had prior to the injury. 

It is never a good idea to ignore these symptoms after a head injury and you should consult with a medical professional to be sure you do not have any lasting symptoms of a TBI.