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Sometimes it can be hard to tell if you have a concussion or not, you may need to evaluate your symptoms

Concussions are a common type of head injury if you are in a car accident or even hurt at work. They are usually caused by a blow to the head. It doesn’t necessarily have to be directly to the head, sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head such as in a car accident can also cause a concussion. Depending on how hard you are hit in the head your concussion may range from being minor to major, however, regardless of how hard you are hit it will temporarily affect the way your brain works.
Things that a concussion can affect are:
• Speech
• Balance
• Coordination
• Memory
• Judgment
• Reflexes

If you get a concussion you may not even know it, most people who do receive concussions don’t black out. You will be able to tell you have a concussion if you are experiencing symptoms after taking a blow to your head. Two major symptoms are confusion and amnesia. However, you may have a headache, dizziness, ringing of the ears, nausea or vomiting, slurred speech, and fatigue. Sometimes certain symptoms may not show up right away, it make take hours or days for certain symptoms to be present such as:
• Irritability
• Depression
• Sleep disturbances
• Memory
• Concentration problems
• Sensitivity to light and noise

Should I go to the doctor right away? If you were involved in a car or work accident where the injury to your head was minor and you aren’t having many symptoms you may not have to be seen by a doctor, most concussions get better on their own. However, some concussions are more serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms after a head injury you should be seen by your doctor immediately:
• Prolonged headache or dizziness
• Ringing in the ears
• Loss of smell or taste
• Impaired balance
• Vision or eye disturbances
• Prolonged memory loss

If you do go see your doctor for a head injury you will most likely need to have a CT scan done so your doctor is able to get a good look at your brain and determine how severe your injury is. If your doctor does conclude that you have a concussion the best thing you can do is get plenty of rest, it takes time for your brain to heal. You can take over the counter pain relievers with acetaminophen for any headaches. You may also want to take it easy at work or in sports for a little while if that was how you got hurt.

Major risk factors for getting a concussion include playing sports, falling, and car, truck, bike or motorcycle accidents. There are ways you can prevent or help reduce the risk of getting a head injury. You can be sure to always wear a helmet while doing fun things such as going for a bike ride or motorcycling. Buckling your seat belt when you are in the car, use caution when you are swimming to avoid diving into water that is too shallow, and wearing sensible shoes that give you good balance and make you less likely to fall down are all ways to prevent a head injury.

If you or a loved one has been in a personal injury or work accident, our team of injury attorneys at Walker, Billingsley & Bair are here to answer your questions and help with any concerns you may be having regarding your claim.
To learn more about how to deal with your injury:
Visit our Injured Iowan Website
Request a Free copy of our book Comprehensive Consumer Guide to Iowa Injuries
Contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair about a free consultation