Suffering any kind of head injury will always cause a great deal of anxiety as it can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening. It is important that you are able to react quickly as timing is very important when it comes to this type of injury. Unfortunately, many people do not know what to do if they suffer a head injury as it is something that nobody expects to sustain. So, read on for the main stages to take when you or somebody that you are with suffers any kind of head injury – your ability to react quickly could save a life and minimise the damage sustained.
Seeking Medical Care
First, you need to seek immediate medical care if you are suffering from serious symptoms from a head injury. Some main symptoms to look out for include confusion, disorientation, memory loss, seizures, and vomiting. If the symptoms are severe, it is best to call the emergency services as motion can make a head injury worse, so they may need to be moved by trained medical personnel.
Getting A Diagnosis
A doctor will then assess your head injury so that a diagnosis can be made. One of the ways that this is likely to be done is with the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) which is a 15-point test that assesses your mental state (high scores indicate a less severe injury). If you are unable to recall what happened when you were injured, it can be helpful to have someone there who witnessed the accident. There are likely to be other tests and possibly scans like a CT scan to look for fractures and signs of bleeding or clotting.
Treatment
The treatment that you receive will most likely depend on the diagnosis but for minor head injuries you may simply need to take a type of painkiller that is not a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen. Treatment for more serious head injuries can include medication, surgery, and rehabilitation. The outlook will depend on the severity of the injury, but there could be permanent changes in your life which can include the ability to think, physical abilities and personality.
Compensation
If the injury was due to the negligence of someone else, then you may be entitled to compensation. Seeking compensation for a brain injury will not reverse the effects, but it can improve quality of life and help with any costs that you have incurred as a result of the injury. In addition to seeking maximum compensation, many personal injury firms will also be able to help with advice and assistance for your recovery.
Head injuries are always worrying even if you or somebody who hurt themselves are not showing serious symptoms. It is important that you know what to look out for so that you can seek medical attention if required and also keep an eye on the injury to see if it worsens or symptoms show themselves later on. What follows will depend on the severity of the injury but your medical team will be able to help and you may find that could be entitled to compensation which could be helpful.