The brain controls our bodily functions, from movement and coordination to memory, emotions, and everything in between. An untreated brain or head injury can negatively impact nearly every facet of your life. As such, you must receive prompt care as soon as practicable after your accident resulting in injury.
You may be entitled to relief if you or a loved one has sustained a brain injury in an accident. Use our guide below to learn more about what happens if you don’t receive treatment for a brain injury. Then, take action to get the treatment you need. Contact the team of brain injury attorneys at GJEL to begin your pathway to recovery today.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Other Types of Brain Injuries
Before discussing treatment for brain injuries, it’s crucial to have a general understanding of brain injuries.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a TBI is an injury that affects how the brain works. The three primary types of TBI are mild (frequently referred to as concussion), moderate, and severe.
Some of the most common causes of TBI and other brain-related injuries include:
- Slip, trips, and falls;
- Motor vehicle crashes and other traffic-related accidents;
- Bring struck by or against an object;
- Assaults; and
- Sports-related injuries.
Of course, these are not the only scenarios in which a head or brain injury might occur. Thus, no matter where or when you sustain a brain injury, be sure to take prompt action to prevent your condition from worsening.
Consequences of Untreated TBI and Other Untreated Head Injury Types
A TBI can result in a significant impact on your health and quality of life. And an untreated TBI only exacerbates those impacts. Consequences of untreated TBI frequently include:
- Altered consciousness, including coma and brain death;
- Long-term physical complications, such as seizures and fluid buildup in the brain;
- Cognitive and executive functioning problems;
- Communication problems;
- Behavioral and emotional changes;
- Increased risk of degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia; and
- Risk of death.
Proper and timely treatment can reduce the likelihood of these more severe outcomes. Thus, always err on the side of caution, and seek prompt medical care to better prevent these and other consequences of untreated TBI.
TBI Recovery: Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Treatment
It’s no secret that untreated TBI can have significant, life-changing consequences. However, advances in medicine and treatment have helped to reduce the potential impacts of various types of brain injuries.
For example, various medications can help limit secondary damage and worsening of symptoms immediately after a brain injury. These might include anti-seizure drugs given after the injury and medications to put individuals into brief comas to temporarily reduce the amount of oxygen the brain needs while it recovers.
In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to:
- Remove clotted blood (hematomas);
- Repair skull fractures;
- Address bleeding in the brain; or
- Open a window in the skull to relieve pressure and swollen tissue.
Promptly identifying a need for surgery can significantly reduce the risk of additional damage to the brain in the future.
Rehabilitation is also essential to the treatment and recovery process after sustaining a brain injury. The primary goal of rehabilitation is often to re-learn basic skills and improve an injury victim’s abilities to perform their daily activities moving forward.
Regardless of what particular type of treatment you need, the important thing is that you ultimately seek appropriate medical care and attention. Doing so can speed up your recovery time and reduce potential negative impacts on your life in the future.
What to Do After a Brain Injury
The first 72 hours after a brain injury are critical. Thus, it’s important that you know what steps to take after sustaining a head or brain injury to protect yourself moving forward.
Follow these three steps to better prevent long-term consequences due to untreated TBI.
Recognize and Identify Potential Symptoms of TBI
First, it’s crucial to recognize and identify certain symptoms that may signify an underlying head or brain injury. Common symptoms of TBI include:
- Headache,
- Lightheadedness,
- Confusion,
- Dizziness,
- Blurred vision,
- Nausea or vomiting,
- Sensitivity to light or sound,
- Loss of vision,
- Slurred speech,
- Changes in mood or sleep patterns, and
- Loss of consciousness.
If you notice these or other similar symptoms after a head injury, don’t wait—take action as soon as possible to address your injuries.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Even if you don’t notice any symptoms, you must seek immediate medical attention after sustaining a head injury. Sometimes, TBI symptoms may not manifest until well after the accident that caused your injury.
Failure to promptly diagnose and treat a brain injury can lead to severe consequences, both short-term and long-term. Thus, consult with a medical professional as soon as possible after a blow to the head or other head injury.
Discuss Your Options with an Experienced Brain Injury Attorney
If you think the accident that resulted in your brain injury was the result of the wrongful or negligent actions of another, speak with a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options.
Speaking with a lawyer may be the last thing on your mind. Nevertheless, doing so is a crucial step on your pathway toward recovery.
Of course, hiring an attorney is not required, but a skilled personal injury attorney will have the knowledge, experience, and resources necessary to help you fight for the valuable compensation you need and deserve as you recover in the aftermath of your injuries.
GJEL: Your Brain Injury Accident Attorneys
When you’re facing a severe brain injury, you deserve a team of attorneys to fight aggressively for your rights and the compensation you need as you recover from your injuries. When you hire GJEL, you can feel confident knowing that our accident attorneys will do just that.
With a 99% success rate and more than $950 million recovered for our clients in need, we have the tools, resources, and experience necessary to help you navigate this complex and emotional process.
Contact us today for a free case review and see what our team can do for you.
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