8 Subtle Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury

Have you or a loved one suffered a head injury? Depending on the severity of the impact or penetration, traumatic brain injury (TBI) could occur. Although some symptoms of TBI are obvious and immediately apparent—including convulsions, slurred speech, blurred vision, and dilation of one or both pupils—some head injuries have delayed symptoms that are harder to spot. Watch for these eight subtle signs of traumatic brain injury that may occur even after being cleared by a doctor.

1. Personality changes: A blow to the frontal region of the brain may cause a person to become more risk-prone or have a harder time controlling their behavior. Emotional changes, altered interests, and mental health problems can also occur.
2. Vision problems: Badly blurred vision after a head impact is immediately apparent, but subtle eyesight changes may occur for months. Narrow field of vision, trouble focusing up close, and limited distance vision are all signs to watch out for.
3. Ongoing exhaustion: It’s normal to feel lethargic in the days and weeks following a head injury. However, if mental or physical exhaustion persists for months, there could be lingering brain trauma. Sluggishness, apathy, and changing sleep patterns are all related symptoms of long-term TBI.
4. Faintness: Fainting occurs when blood circulation to the brain is disrupted. A predisposition for feeling lightheaded or passing out may become apparent after hitting your head. These symptoms often accompany lethargy and the increased need to sleep, all of which are associated with low blood flow to the brain.
5. Numbness or tingling: Head trauma can cause lingering numbness, weakness, or tingling on the scalp and in other areas, such as the fingers and toes. Further testing may be required to determine if nerve damage or traumatic brain injury is to blame.
6. Persistent headaches: It’s natural to watch for head pain immediately after a brain injury, but headaches and migraines can persist for months or even years if the brain, brainstem, or nervous system sustains enough damage.
7. Confusion and memory problems: It’s normal to feel confused or forgetful after a brain injury, but symptoms that linger beyond the expected recovery period could indicate more significant trauma than initially thought.
8. Altered taste and smell: The delicate olfactory organs that control your senses of taste and smell are easily damaged. Thorough medical testing is required to determine if a head injury is to blame and whether the problem is treatable.

If you spot any subtle signs of traumatic brain injury in yourself or a loved one, don’t ignore them! By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can recover money to help pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

Contact Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC to learn more. We have over 70 years of experience as an attorney for traumatic brain injury, regularly handling catastrophic injury cases for our New Jersey clients. Our personal injury lawyer is ready to help you fight for the compensation you deserve! Call us at 862-263-0770 or contact us online to schedule your free, one-hour consultation. A Spanish translator is available upon request.