Persistent Post-Concussive Syndrome

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All kinds of people experience concussions, from athletes to older adults. While some people may not notice anything different after a concussion, others must adjust their routine to accommodate a slow recovery. Because brain injuries impact both physical function and hormonal balance, you could struggle physically and emotionally long after the concussion occurs. Our post-concussive syndrome injury lawyers are here to help.

It is difficult enough to deal with concussion symptoms, but it is even worse when their cause is someone else’s fault. If this is the case for your post-concussion syndrome, you should not have to pay for the injury that someone else caused. This article will explain what persistent post-concussive syndrome is and how to contact a brain injury attorney.

If someone caused your concussion, call the Zinda Law Group attorneys at (800) 863-5312 to receive a free case evaluation. You may be eligible for compensation that will help relieve some of the burden of your accident.

Concussion faqs

Concussions can be easy to miss, but if you have ongoing symptoms from a concussion, you should not—cannot—ignore them. This article will cover some frequently asked questions (FAQs) by people who have been hurt by concussions.

What Is Persistent Post-Concussive Syndrome?

To understand what persistent post-concussive syndrome is, you should first understand what happens when you get a concussion. A concussion—sometimes called a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)—occurs when an outside bump, blow, or jolt causes the brain to rapidly accelerate then decelerate and hit the skull. TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe, and can create chemical changes in the brain.

80% of all TBIs are concussions. Usually, concussions only have temporary physical and chemical effects, but it is difficult to anticipate how severe a concussion is until some time has passed. The long-term effects of concussions have been studied in recent years, especially in the case of athletes, so diagnosis and treatment has also become more advanced.

Persistent post-concussive syndrome is a condition in which symptoms occur after a concussion that—unlike many concussion symptoms which go away within a few days or weeks—continue to affect you long after the impact.

A few common physical symptoms of persistent post-concussive syndrome include:

inability to coordinate your movement as you did before the concussion
inability to balance yourself
continuous headaches
slow reaction time

You may also experience emotional or psychological symptoms like:

depression
anxiety
reduced attention span
poor judgment
memory loss
inability to concentrate

What Should I Do If I Have Post-Concussion Syndrome?

It is worth the trip to your doctor’s office to confirm that you have endured a concussion—especially if you have ongoing symptoms. Approximately 12% of concussions are reported, leaving most concussions undiagnosed and untreated. Concussions are more difficult to diagnose than other TBIs because they do not require that you experience unconsciousness.

1. Get Your Concussion Diagnosed

Technological advances in imaging technology, such as a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allow doctors to confirm that your concussion took place.

If you address your suspected concussion immediately by calling an ambulance directly after receiving the blow to your head, you will likely get a CT scan. A CT is comprised of several X-rays that together provide your doctor with a detailed image of your brain. Your doctor can use a CT scan to promptly see any blood clots, bruised brain tissue, fractures, hemorrhaging, or swelling.

If it takes longer for you to see your doctor about your suspected concussion or if you need to follow up with your doctor later once your condition has stabilized, you will probably get an MRI. An MRI uses strong radio waves and magnets to form an image of your brain. Be sure to check in with your doctor if you continue to have serious symptoms weeks or months after the initial impact to see if you need to update your treatment.

2. Take the Medication Your Doctor Recommends

Some people who receive concussions are luckier than others, and their symptoms might go away with time and rest without any need for further treatment. However, your doctor may prescribe medication to help you recover. Make certain to follow your doctor’s instructions regarding medication, and bear in mind that drugs and alcohol can impede the process of your recovery and increase your chances of re-injury.

Medications that can help improve your brain injury symptoms include:

Anti-anxiety medication
Anticoagulants
Anticonvulsants
Antidepressants
Diuretics
Muscle relaxants
Stimulants

3. Attend Appropriate Therapy

If you have lost coordination or other skills due to your concussion, your doctor might help you find the appropriate therapy to aid in your full recovery. Often, hospitals conduct their own therapy programs to make things easier for you.

There are several kinds of therapy that might be appropriate for someone who has experienced a concussion:

Occupational therapy, for someone who needs to re-learn daily routine and self-care regimes
Speech therapy, for someone whose ability to communicate has been affected by a concussion
Physical therapy, for someone who has trouble walking or balancing after a concussion
Psychological therapy, for someone who experiences chemical imbalances after a concussion
Cognitive therapy, for someone whose attention span and memory have been harmed by a concussion

What Caused My Concussion?

Some people are at more risk of a concussion than others, and the common causes of concussions reveal who is most vulnerable. As we stated earlier, a concussion is ultimately caused by a blow or jolt to the head that makes the brain press against the skull; the extent of the damage from the impact depends on the nature of the injury. The following types of impacts are common causes of concussions:

Falls, especially suffered by children and older adults
High-impact and extreme sports
Car crashes, especially those involving pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles
Combat injuries such as explosions, penetrating wounds, and the impact from debris
Physical violence, including child abuse and domestic violence against an adult

What Are the Symptoms of a Concussion?

Since a person who has been concussed was not necessarily knocked out, it can be difficult to tell whether an impact caused a concussion; this can be especially challenging for children who are not yet able to speak. It may be helpful for you to match the cause of your potential concussion with the symptoms you are experiencing to further assess the likelihood that you have received a concussion. (However, this is not a substitution for speaking with your doctor.)

Signs That a Child Might Have a Concussion

Very young children who cannot yet speak might still try to tell you that something is wrong if they received a concussion. There are certain behavioral changes you should watch out for when it comes to brain injuries in children; for example, the child might be unusually irritable or have otherwise unexplainable changes in mood, changes in sleeping or eating habits, or seizures.

Symptoms in Adults

Adults can suffer mental, physical, and sensory symptoms from a concussion. Mental symptoms upon the initial impact include either a loss of consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes or disorientation, dazedness, or confusion. After the impact, you may experience

changes to your sleeping habits,
sudden mood swings,
trouble remembering or concentrating,
or anxiety and depression.

Many people also have physical symptoms after a concussion. Persistent headaches, fatigue, dizziness or loss of balance, difficulty speaking, and nausea are all common post-concussion symptoms. However, sensory symptoms are much less common for concussions and might indicate a more serious TBI. Some people might experience

a bad taste in the mouth,
loss of smell,
blurred vision,
ringing ears,
or sensitivity to light and/or sound.

When Will My Concussion Symptoms Go Away?

Knowing how long symptoms usually last can give you a gauge for whether you are experiencing persistent post-concussion syndrome. Symptoms of concussions usually begin within the first seven to ten days of the concussion and go away within three months after the concussion.

If your symptoms have continued longer than that, you should get the opinion of a doctor regarding treatment. If someone else is responsible for your concussion, you may seek the help of an attorney so that you can recover your expenses for treating your symptoms.

Call zinda law group today and discuss your case with a Brain injury lawyer

If you are dealing with the long-term effects of a concussion, you should not suffer in silence. A lawyer can equip you with the tools you need to confront the person or business that caused your injury. The attorneys at Zinda Law Group have experience helping people who have been harmed by the ongoing symptoms of their concussions, and they are ready to hear your story to see if they can help you.

It will cost nothing for you to call our attorneys and let them hear about what happened to you. You can reach the Zinda Law Group head injury attorneys at (800) 863-5312 to set up your free consultation.

Do not let your injury-related expenses continue pile up while the person who harmed you remains without consequence. When our lawyers decide to take a case, they take away the client’s financial risk: Our No Win, No Fee Guarantee means that you will not need to pay us unless we win your case for you.

Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.