Motorcycles provide an efficient means of traveling around the Bronx. Unfortunately, these vehicles place you at an increased risk of injury in an accident, especially one to your head. Unless you suffer a head laceration that produces obvious blood flow, you may not realize how seriously you have injured your head. Head injury symptoms can take hours or days to notice, but timely treatment is important to improve your chance of recovery.
Head injury diagnostics
Any accident that causes people to suffer a blow or jolt to the head warrants a medical exam. An immediate medical evaluation not only supports your health but documents your accident injuries in case you need to file an insurance claim or lawsuit.
A physician begins the exam by evaluating your symptoms. These may be discovered by physical exam or reported by you. Head injury symptoms include:
- Head and neck pain
- Dizziness
- Light sensitivity
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fluid or blood leakage from ears or nose
- Weakness
- Vision changes
- Seizures
- Moodiness or emotional outbursts
Your specific symptoms will guide the selection of diagnostic tests although you can expect to receive concussion testing and a neurological assessment at a minimum. A physician may order tests such as:
- Brain imaging
- Electroencephalogram
- Hearing test
- Vision test
Head injury treatments
Rest is essential after a mild brain injury so that the organ can heal from a concussion or contusion. Physicians normally prescribe pain medication to manage headaches.
For more serious head injuries, you may need anti-seizure medications and surgery to drain a brain hemorrhage or fluid buildup. If you experience physical difficulties as a result of the brain injury, you will likely attend physical therapy. Particularly traumatic accidents could produce emotional issues that benefit from psychological counseling.
