A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is perhaps one of the worst ailments you could suffer in an incident. While many of these injuries result from someone playing recreational sports or suffering a car accident, countless others result from an on-the-job incident.
Many of these injuries result in no more than a mild concussion that the individual can recover from in a few weeks. Those who suffer more severe TBIs may have to undergo surgery and face a lifetime of impairments, though.
How doctors diagnose brain injuries
While it’s unlikely that any two patients will experience the same symptoms following a TBI, some consequences are more common than others.
Doctors will generally assess patients to see if they’re experiencing confusion, have difficulty remembering things, appear disoriented or seem excessively sleepy and fatigued. They’ll also want to know if a patient is having trouble concentrating or sleeping and if they’re experiencing lingering headaches, dizziness, irritability, depression, or vomiting. These all may be signs of a more serious TBI.
Physicians don’t only listen to a patient’s anecdotal information about their symptoms but generally take an extensive medical history, perform various tests and imaging studies to get to the bottom of what ails a patient.
Treatment of brain injuries
Patients who suffer relatively minor concussions may be sent home with instructions to limit their activities for a week or two until they fully recover. Some TBI patients with the most serious injuries may have to undergo surgery to address a skull fracture, repair a severed blood vessel, manage blood clots or brain swelling. Some TBI victims may not ever regain functioning that they enjoyed pre-incident, even with extensive rehabilitation.
Your options if you suffered a brain injury on the job
How quickly you receive treatment for your TBI matters. That’s why you must notify your Minneapolis employer of any workplace accident and your symptoms before requesting immediate medical attention. Working with an experienced attorney may be the best option if you’ve suffered a severe brain injury and need to maximize your available resources.
