For instance, you may bang your head and afterward just not feel "right." Or, you may bonk your head and lose consciousness.
The brain is a complex and potent organ. A hard hit may do nothing, and a small shake may have great impact. Each brain will recover at a different rate, making it difficult to diagnose and treat potential trauma.
According to Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, no matter the perceived severity of injury, you should watch for these symptoms and get help immediately:
- Slurred speech, talking in circles or acute speech changes
- Function changes
- Personality changes
- Memory difficulty
- Strange way of walking
- Bilingual people returning to an earlier language
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Blurry vision
- Trouble tasting or smelling things
- Fatigue
If you experience any of these symptoms, you need to seek medical attention to get an in-person assessment. Physical symptoms and comprehensive testing can help with diagnosis and treatment. However, it's often difficult to determine a future prognosis post-injury.
Treating the brain after injury depends on the injury. Resting the brain can help. Stimulating parts of the brain through brain games or learning a new skill works like a trip to the gym for your noggin.
Be more attentive if someone you know may have suffered a brain injury. Write down symptoms and watch if they disappear or persist.
Listen in as Dr. Hafeez joins Dr. Susanne to discuss the basics of brain trauma, as well as what you should do if you or someone you love suffers injury.
Dr. Sanam Hafeez is a New York City based Neuropsychologist and School Psychologist. She is also the founder and director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. and is currently a teaching faculty member at Columbia University.