CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYER MINNEAPOLIS knows that a CONCUSSION INJURY is a MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. However, in many cases there is nothing mild about it. The consequences can be significantly disabling.
CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYER MINNEAPOLIS knows that the SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION are many and vary widely from case to case. It is not a “one size fits all” phenomenon.
The symptoms of a concussion injury are many. They vary from patient to patient and from case to case. The commonly seen symptoms of a concussion injury were established in the Journal of Neurology back in 1995 in the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionaire which is commonly used as a screening tool by many respected institutions. These symptoms include the following:
- headaches,
- nausea or vomiting,
- noise sensitivity,
- sleep disturbance,
- fatigue,
- irritability,
- depression,
- frustration,
- forgetfulness (poor memory),
- poor concentration,
- taking longer to think,
- blurred/impaired vision,
- light sensitivity,
- double vision,
- restlessness.
Source: King, et. al, Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire, Journal of Neurology 242:587-592 (1995).
CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYER MINNEAPOLS -Other symptoms of Post Concussion Syndrome.
Post Concussion Syndrome occurs when the symptoms of concussion persist and do not go away. Symptoms that are seen as part of a Post Concussion Syndrome are those included in the Rivermead along with balance difficulties (Benign Proximal Positional Vertigo)tinnitus (ringing/buzzing of the ears), hearing loss, loss of taste and/or smell, and seizures.
(It is important to note that the symptoms of a concussion vary from patient to patient. It is rare that a concussion victim experiences all of the 16 symptoms listed in the Rivermead.)
Nevertheless, there is a lot of commonality. A study of the concussion cases from 3 major hospitals concluded that the 4 most common symptoms of concussions were
- Headaches (69.4%),
- Fatigability (61.2%),
- Dizziness (54.8%), and
- Sleep difficulty (50.0).
See Levin, Minor Head Injury and the Postconcussional Syndrome. Also see Eisenberg et. al., Duration and Course of Post-Concussive Symptoms, Pediatrics, Vol 6:133 (2014) who reports that the symptoms of headache, fatigue, dizziness and slowed thinking are the most common symptoms. Nausea, depression, dizziness and double vision tend to abate quicker than symptoms of irritability, sleep disturbance, frustration, and poor concentration persist longer. The emotional symptoms of frustration, depression, irritability and restlessness were among the symptoms that lasted the longest.
CONCUSSION INJURY LAWYER MINNEAPOLIS-Symptoms requiring immediate medical attention.
The symptoms that are most indicative of a severe brain injury requiring immediate medical attention are these:
- Prolonged loss of consciousness
- Repeated vomiting;
- Severe vision problems more than temporary blurred vision (loss of visual field. dialated pupils, inability of eyes to move together)
- Severe headache;
- Worsening symptoms;
- Extended dizziness or balance difficulty;
- Obvious coordination problems.
Author’s note: Actual experience has revealed an amazing variability in the residual symptoms from case to case. Headaches are a very common symptom. Noise and light sensitivity is very common. Victims often come wearing sunglasses and a hat or visor to shield sunlight or bright lights. Many ask if the overhead lights can be turned down. A complex of irritability, fatigue, anxiety and depression is also common. Vision deficits of blurred or double vision, difficulty with depth perception, or eye movement/tracking problems , as discussed later, are not quite as common, usually occurring in many of the most serious cases. Continued balance and dizziness problems can be seen as a major disability flowing from a concussion in many cases but is a less common symptom. In very extreme cases, a hearing, taste and smell deficit can be found be fairly rare. Cognitive deficits are a common but not universal symptom.
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