Brain Injuries, Closed Head Injury, Symptoms,
Side Effects, Rehabilitation

For moderate to severe closed head injury, the symptoms and side effects might include:

• Persistent headache
• Repeated vomiting or nausea
• Convulsions or seizures
• Inability to awaken from sleep
• Pupil dilation
• Slurred speech
• Numbness
• Loss of coordination
• Increased agitation

Emergency medical personnel can determine the severity of a brain injury by seeing how well an injured person can follow directions to blink his or her eyes or to move their arms and legs as well as how coherent they appear to be. Making the right diagnosis at the right moment is extremely important. Doctor errors, medication mistakes, and hospital negligence may be considered medical malpractice.

Traumatic brain injury problems can come in two stages. First the original impact can bruise portions of the brain or directly sever nerve connections. Secondly, the injury happens when the injury site begins to swell.

Less than half the people who suffer severe traumatic brain injuries need surgery. When surgery is performed, it’s to drain excess fluid caused by the trauma. Swelling is a natural reaction of injured body tissue though medications can decrease the pressure.

People who suffer traumatic brain injuries will need rehabilitation. They will need to relearn basic skills. TBI may cause functional changes affecting thinking, language, learning, emotions, behavior, and sensation. The goal is for people with TBI to once again function normally though that is not always possible.

Traumatic brain injury can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Find out what your legal options are regarding a TBI lawsuit.