What are some common symptoms of a brain injury?

A brain injury can happen when you experience a sudden blow or jolt to the head. For example, you can get a brain injury in a car accident, playing contact sports or falling from a significant height at work. 

Brain injuries are common, and the Brain Trauma Foundation states that among children and adults in the U.S. ranging between the ages of 1 to 44, brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability. Knowing some of the common brain injury symptoms can help you identify when to seek treatment for yourself or a loved one after an accident. 

Cognitive

Some of the cognitive symptoms of a brain injury include mood changes, feeling anxious or depressed and problems sleeping. You may also lose consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes, feel dazed and disoriented and have a hard time concentrating. 

Physical

You may experience a persistent headache, nausea and vomiting and dizziness after sustaining a brain injury in a car accident or another serious accident. Other physical symptoms include trouble talking and fatigue or drowsiness. 

Sensory

Sensitivity to light and sound, blurred vision and changes in your ability to smell are all common sensory symptoms of a brain injury. You may also experience blurred vision after the accident. 

Most cognitive, physical and sensory brain injury symptoms do not show up immediately after you experience head trauma. Depending on your injury, some of these symptoms may occur right away while others may take days or even weeks to develop.