Brain Injury Symptoms & Signs
The list of brain injury symptoms is long. Typical symptoms, problems, difficulties, or dysfunction a person may experience from traumatic brain injury may include:
Physical symptoms: headaches, head pressure, nausea, vomiting, sleep changes, fatigue, weakness in the face or limbs, hearing problems, tinnitus, visual field loss, blurred vision, double vision, eye movement and tracking problems, changes in taste or smell, bad taste in mouth, spasticity, aphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria, dizziness, balance or coordination problems, seizures, and sensitivity to light and/or noise.
Communication problems: difficulty finding words, reading, understanding written and verbal communication, and writing.
Cognitive or Mental issues: deficits in attention, concentration, memory (short or long-term), speed of processing, new learning, planning, reasoning, judgment, self-awareness, problem solving, abstract thinking, visual spatial, mental or brain fog or fatigue, feeling dazed or hazy, confused, or disoriented.
Behavioral or emotional changes: depression or anxiety, agitation, irritability, impulsivity, aggression, easily losing temper, or lack of motivation or energy.
In addition to the above list of symptoms there are also clinical signs of a traumatic brain injury which include:
Loss of consciousness immediately following the injury, which may appear as no protective action taken on falling after impact or lying motionless and unresponsive.
Alteration of mental status immediately following the injury (or upon regaining consciousness), evidenced by reduced responsiveness or inappropriate responses to external stimuli; slowness to respond to questions or instructions; agitated behavior; inability to follow two-part commands; or disorientation to time, place, or situation.
Complete to partial amnesia for events immediately following the injury (or after regaining consciousness) or retrograde amnesia (i.e., a gap in memory for events immediately preceding the injury).
Significant drowsiness or inability to wake up, slurred speech, numbness, weakness or difficulty with motor coordination, pupil size asymmetry, repeated vomiting, shaking/twitching or seizures, significant restlessness, agitation or confusion, severe headache that keeps getting worse, or fluid draining from the nose or ears.
The list of symptoms and signs of a traumatic brain injury is long and they many appear similar to some other medical conditions and problems. Even if it may appear to be only a minor fall or bump on the head, or if you aren’t sure if you injured your brain, get checked out by a doctor. Don’t wait.
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If you found this post helpful, you might also like to explore the other topics listed below and the many other topics in our comprehensive Safety & Prevention Guide, Brain Injury Guide, and Bike Injury Guide.
