How Can I Tell if a Head Injury Is Mild or Severe?

The severity of a head injury may vary greatly after a traumatic event like a car accident. The treatment required to recover from a head injury is different if you are dealing with a mild or severe injury. For this reason, it’s important to know how you can tell if a head injury is mild or severe.

This article reviews the symptoms of mild, moderate, and severe head injuries. You can also learn more about medical assessments used to diagnose head injuries. Find out about the treatment options available to you if you sustain a head injury in Dallas.

Identifying a Mild Head Injury

Let’s focus first on evidence that the symptoms associated with a mild head injury in Dallas. You may note a number of physical symptoms of a mild head injury, such as small cuts, bruises, or bumps. In addition to these obvious injuries, you should assess the injured individual for:

A headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea
Difficulty balancing, hearing, or concentrating
Signs of lethargy, fatigue, or memory problems
Irritability or confusion
Blurred vision or complaints about things tasting strange

Any of these symptoms may indicate that an individual has a head injury. You may want to take an individual with even a mild head injury to a doctor to receive medical care and to ensure the injury is not more serious than it appears to be.

Identifying a Moderate or Severe Head Injury

Moderate and severe head injuries should receive prompt medical treatment. This makes it very important to identify them as quickly as possible. Any of the above symptoms could appear in an individual who experienced a moderate or severe head injury. They may also:

Have seizures or lose consciousness
Be unable to stop vomiting
Have problems with their memory
Be unable to walk or feel weak on one side of their body
Slur their speech
Sweat

There are additional physical symptoms that may indicate a moderate or severe head injury. Individuals who have clear fluid or blood coming from their nose or ears should get immediate care. Additionally, if you notice that one pupil is larger than the other, this may be a serious warning sign of a head injury.

Finally, deep wound or damage to the skull could also be a sign that an individual is dealing with a serious head injury and that they need immediate medical care.

Medical Tests to Identify Head Injuries

It may be very difficult to determine if a person has a mild or severe head injury just by looking at them. In many cases, individuals require an assessment by a medical professional in order to classify their head injury. Medical professionals in Dallas may identify head injuries with the use of:

CT or CAT Scans
X-ray tests
MRIs
EEGs

These assessments may help a healthcare provider determine exactly what type of head injury a person is dealing with. This may allow a doctor to set up a treatment plan to help an individual recover from a head injury after a motor vehicle accident.

Treatment for Mild and Severe Head Injuries in Texas

The treatment for a head injury may vary based on the severity of the injury. For example, individuals with a minor head injury may just need to rest and take some medication to help them with the pain. Moderate and severe head injuries may require far more extensive treatment, including:

Stitches
Hospitalization
Surgeries
Rehabilitation and physical therapy

In order to get treatment, it’s important to take anyone who sustained a head injury to the doctor so they may get care. However, if you believe someone sustained a severe head injury, you should not move them on your own. Contact 911 and allow a trained medical professional to move the individual.

The costs for any treatment for a head injury may become very expensive. However, you may be eligible to receive compensation for these expenses if someone else caused your injuries. For example, if another driver has hit you with their vehicle, they could be responsible for covering your losses.

Get Help with a Mild or Severe Head Injury

How can you tell if a head injury is mild or severe? You may check a person’s physical responses to the injury or take them to a doctor for an official diagnosis. If you experienced a head injury, make sure you get help quickly. You may also be eligible to receive compensation for your medical expenses if you experienced a head injury due to someone else’s actions. Find out more by calling (469) 998-4069 or completing our online contact form to speak with a Dallas car accident lawyer.