Jason Stephens | June 15, 2022 | Brain Injuries
Head injuries rightfully cause great concern when they occur. An injury to the brain can result in eventual death or lifelong debilitation. For this reason, head injuries need immediate medical care to prevent disastrous consequences.
Brain bleeds commonly occur after head injuries but may be difficult to diagnose, as they are invisible to the trained and untrained eye. If neglected, brain bleeds can cause brain damage and even death. When a medical professional misses a brain bleed due to negligence, they may be held liable for damages in certain cases.
What Exactly is a Brain Bleed?
As the term suggests, a brain bleed is hemorrhaging that occurs in the brain. There are two main types: bleeding that occurs between the skull and the brain and bleeding within the brain itself. Both types can cause severe debilitation and are potentially fatal.
The extent and type of damage depend on a variety of factors, including:
- The exact location of the bleed
- The size of the bleed
- The exact cause of the bleed
- The time elapsed since the bleed first occurred
- The age and health of the person experiencing the brain bleed
Although most brain bleeds tend to occur suddenly and out of nowhere, some bleeds may develop over an extended period of time.
What Are the Symptoms of a Brain Bleed?
Brain bleeds can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on which part of the brain the bleed occurs within.
Generally speaking, individuals suffering from a brain bleed might experience:
- Sudden explosive headache (thunderclap headache)
- Sudden sensory deficits, including numbness or tingling
- Paralysis of a part or a side of the body
- Head or neck pain
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Slurred or abnormal speech
- Loss of coordination or balance
- Photophobia (fear of light or pain when seeing light)
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
In some cases, the symptoms of a bleed after a head injury will manifest themselves days or even weeks later. By then, much damage may have been caused to the brain. Also, many of these symptoms may be indicative of other conditions, which may make diagnosing a brain bleed difficult.
Diagnosing a Brain Bleed
It can be difficult to diagnose a brain bleed, especially in the absence of head trauma. When head trauma has occurred and is accompanied by symptoms of a brain bleed, medical professionals will use high-level equipment testing to reach a diagnosis.
The principal testing equipment used in this process includes computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA).
Medical professionals may use one or more of these technologies to help them reach a diagnosis and determine the size, extent, and sometimes the exact cause of the bleeding. Other diagnostic methods include the use of an electroencephalogram or performing spinal taps.
How Do You Treat a Brain Bleed After a Head Injury?
Once a brain bleed is discovered, medical professionals often have to act quickly to save the patient. In some emergency situations, surgery is used to provide immediate emergency relief. For example, surgery may be necessary to cause decompression of the brain or address an unruptured aneurysm.
Although brain bleeds may come about through a variety of non-traumatic causes, such as high blood pressure and stroke, many of the most severe cases of brain bleeds result from head trauma.
Regardless of the cause, brain bleeds are serious conditions that may require extensive, time-consuming, and costly treatment. If the bleed came about through the fault of another, this person may be responsible for paying medical expenses and more.
In the event of a serious head injury, it is important to seek immediate medical attention to evaluate the extent of the damage. You may also need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney to get compensation for your injuries if the circumstances warrant it.
Contact Our Brain Injury Law Firm in Fort Worth, TX
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth and need legal help, contact our Fort Worth brain injury lawyers at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to schedule a free consultation.
Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 300
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 420-7000