Traumatic brain injury can occur when someone sustains an impact to the head. Traffic accidents and falls rank among the top causes of TBI, so if either of these things happens to you, be sure to get proper medical attention and keep an eye out for potential symptoms.

If you were traveling in a car at the time of the crash, TBI can be a possibility even if you do not recall hitting your head. The abrupt stop while traveling fast can cause the brain to hit the inside of the skull, potentially resulting in damage.

Symptoms often arise later

While some injuries are glaringly obvious, this will not necessarily be the case for moderate TBI. While this type of injury is usually accompanied by a short loss of consciousness, this period can be so brief that you do not remember it, especially as short-term memory can also suffer. If first responders do not see signs of head trauma and you tell them you feel fine, you may not even end up in the emergency room. Even if you do go, providers may not see the presence of TBI at this point and may send you home.

Keep looking out for these signs

Frequently, moderate TBI symptoms arise some time after the initial trauma, and can take as long as several weeks to show up. Watch out for headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, mood swings, odd sensations or decreased function in your limbs, blurred vision, difficulty paying attention, buzzing in the ears and any other changes to your mental or physical health. Any of these can be signs you need to see a doctor.

Seek medical attention promptly

Even if you do not feel your symptoms cause you undue discomfort, you should get a proper check-up. Over time, some symptoms can go away while others worsen and affect your ability to work as well as function in your daily life.