A car crash can leave severe damage in its wake, none more so than that to your body. While any injury is cause for concern, one to the head may come with catastrophic results. Traumatic brain injury, according to the Mayo Clinic, is typically the result of a violent event or blow to the skull. The severity may vary from mild to fatal. Discover some of the common signs of this serious injury.
Headaches
A head injury in a car accident does not have to have outward signs. It may happen when the impact forces the neck to snap violently in one direction or the other. The brain may slide and hit the sides of the skull meant to protect it. One of the earliest indications of a non-impact brain injury is increasing headaches. A headache immediately after a car crash may not indicate more than stress from the event. However, if it does not resolve with rest or over-the-counter medication, gets worse, it may point to brain swelling or bleeding.
Vomiting
It may not seem relevant that nausea or vomiting that came on after a crash is due to a head injury. However, it is a sign of brain trauma, especially in children. The brain is the nervous center of the body, and impacting one area of it may trigger symptoms in a seemingly unrelated area of the body. If a person has a proclivity for motion sickness, there is a chance he or she will vomit after the brain suffers an injury. Spinning and vertigo may also onset in conjunction with vomiting.
A traumatic brain injury may resolve after time, or it may cause other areas of the body to shut down. After a crash, therefore, paying attention to irregularities in the body is critical to catching it early.