Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury

Baltimore, Maryland

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is brain damage caused by an external physical force that leaves a person with significant problems in physical functioning, social skills and/or the ability to think. Psychiatric illness is common after traumatic brain injury. There are also physical symptoms of TBI that one wouldn’t associate with this kind of injury. Cardiovascular problems, bladder and bowel problems, sleep apnea, and other physical conditions are sometimes the consequence of a traumatic brain injury.

But many of these consequences can be treated with proper medical care, patience, and hope. The Yost Legal Group of brain damage lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland, can help you get the care you need for a loved one who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Contact us today to learn more.

Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms of TBI

The behavioral symptoms include:

• Restlessness
• Impulsive behavior
• Anxiety
• Lack of desire
• Difficulty controlling emotions
• Decreased ability to cope with stress
• Depression
• Frustration
• Aggression and irritability

A person with a mild traumatic brain injury may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. Other symptoms of mild brain damage include headache, confusion, light headedness, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. A person with a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

Disabilities from TBI

Disabilities resulting from a traumatic brain injury depend upon the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, and the age and general health of the individual. Some common disabilities include problems with cognition (thinking, memory, and reasoning), sensory processing (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), communication (expression and understanding), and behavior or mental health (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness). More serious head injuries may result in stupor, an unresponsive state, but one in which an individual can be aroused briefly by a strong stimulus, such as sharp pain; coma, a state in which an individual is totally unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, and unarousable; vegetative state, in which an individual is unconscious and unaware of his or her surroundings, but continues to have a sleep-wake cycle and periods of alertness; and a persistent vegetative state (PVS), in which an individual stays in a vegetative state for more than a month.

Undetected TBI

Traumatic brain injury can be difficult to diagnose because individuals with mild cases may not be aware of the need for medical intervention. Left untreated, even a mild traumatic brain injury can lead to serious and permanent brain damage. If you or another person has been struck in the head, seek immediate medical attention regardless of how minor the incident may seem.

If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the negligence or misconduct of another person, The Yost Legal Group in Baltimore, Maryland can help you get compensation to pay for necessary care and ease your transition to life after the brain injury.  Schedule a free initial consultation today to learn more.