Sometimes immediately after an accident, it’s obvious that you or a passenger has sustained an injury because of the impact of the collision. Since experiencing an impact to the head during an accident is something that happens pretty frequently, sustaining a concussion after an accident is a fairly common occurrence.

A concussion is considered to be a mild traumatic brain injury which can cause problems with balance, memory, and concentration. If you have a concussion after a car accident, you may experience headaches, or you may feel dizzy or disoriented. It’s possible to have a concussion and not realize it right away or to have symptoms that linger much longer than expected.

Do Concussion Symptoms Always Happen Right Away?

It’s not uncommon to believe you aren’t hurt immediately after an accident even if you actually are. Your body goes through a rush of adrenaline after a trauma which may mask any pain you might be experiencing.

There are many different types of injuries that may have delayed symptoms, and even though you don’t experience symptoms right away, symptoms may show up days or weeks later. Concussion and post-concussion syndrome both fall into this category.

If you have a severe head injury, you’ll probably experience immediate symptoms. A major blow to the head can lead to extreme pain and possibly loss of consciousness. Milder head injuries may not be noticeable immediately.

What is Post-Concussion Syndrome?

Whether or not you’re aware that you have sustained a concussion, the symptoms of headaches or dizziness usually subside within a week or two. However, the brain is a complex organ, and every injury to the brain can be a little different than other brain injuries.

If your symptoms persist for weeks or months after the accident happened, you could have post-concussion syndrome. If you have this disorder, you may continue to experience concussion symptoms after too much physical activity, and sometimes even when you are resting.

Symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome can be very disruptive to your life. Some of the symptoms you may experience include:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Difficulty concentrating
• Forgetfulness
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to noise or light

When any of these symptoms appear after you’ve had a head injury in a collision, it’s important to talk to your doctor. He or she may run imaging tests such as computerized tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other doctors may be involved in evaluating your symptoms if you are experiencing confusion or having other cognitive difficulties.

Can Post-Concussion Syndrome Be Treated?

There is no one form of treatment that is effective for everyone who has post-concussion syndrome. If this happens to you, your doctor may recommend that you allow yourself to rest in order to allow the brain to recover from the trauma it has experienced. Depending on the severity of your injury, specialists in treating traumatic brain injuries may be involved in helping you to gradually become more active.

The symptoms of post-concussion syndrome can severely disrupt your life for a period of time, and you may find that those around you are skeptical that you’re still experiencing problems months after an accident. Even though this is very difficult to go through, the good news is that your symptoms should gradually go away.

Getting Legal Help

Whenever you’re injured in an accident that is caused by someone else’s carelessness or negligence, it’s worth taking the time to consult an expert. A personal injury lawyer can help obtain compensation for the financial losses you have experienced because of your accident.

Get in touch with Taos Injury Lawyers by completing the form on this page. We will get back to you soon to evaluate what happened and to see how we can help.