Nova Scotia Brain Injury Claims: Signs of Minor Traumatic Brain Injury
Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injury
There are a number of diagnostic tests that doctors use to test for brain injury. The problem is that most of the tests (X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI) are not sensitive enough to detect the subtle changes cause by minor traumatic brain injury.
Several years ago I had a case where I was asked to provide a second opinion to someone who had been in a car accident. She had received an offer of compensation based on the fact that she hyad broken some bones in the accident.
But after interviewing her, and some of her family members, I was concerned that she was showing signs of an undiagnosed brain injury. After we arranged for further testing she was diagnosed as having suffered a minor traumatic brain injury (MTBI).
“How Do I Know if I Have a Minor Traumatic Brain Injury?”
So how do you know if you or a loved one has suffered a minor traumatic brain injury?
Here is a simple checklist of the signs or symptoms of minor traumatic brain injury. It’s important to rememeber that the presence of some or all of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have a brain injury.
However, if you have 5 or more of these symptoms, and they appeared after you suffered a blow to the head, then you should tell your doctor to see if he or she thinks further investigation is necessary.
CHECKLIST OF MINOR BRAIN INJURY SYMPTOMS
HEADACHES
Are you experiencing more headaches after the injury or accident?
Do you have pain in your temples or forehead?
Are you experiencing stabbing pains in your head lasting more than a few seconds?
MEMORY
Does your memory seem worse since the accident?
Have family members or friends said you seem forgetful?
Do you have difficulty remembering something you just read?
WORD FINDING
Do you have the feeling that the word you are looking for is “on the tip of your tongue” but you just can’t say it?
FATIGUE
Do you get (mentally or physically) tired more easily?
Does your fatigue get worse when you have to concentrate on something?
EMOTIONAL CHANGES
Do you get angry or irrtiated easily?
Since the injury, do you cry or become depressed easily?
SLEEP DISTURBANCE
Do you wake up frequently throughout the night?
Do you wake up very early and cannot go back to sleep?
ENVIRONMENT
Are you easily overwhelmed in noisy places?
IMPULSE CONTROL
Do you find yourself impulsive decisions (saying things “without thinking” or impulse buying?)
CONCENTRATION
Do you have difficulty concentrating or staying focused?
DISTRACTION
Do you find that you are easily distracted?
When you are reading do you frequently lose your place?
ORGANIZATION
Do you have difficulty organizing complicated tasks?
Do you find you are “missing steps” in recipes, projects, instructions or “to-do” lists?
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If so send me an e-mail or leave me a comment. Let me know what other information you would like to see on this blog.
MORE INFORMATION
What is a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury?
What Are The Symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury?
8 Myths of Traumatic Brain Injury
Understanding How the Brain Works
I am very proud to announce the publication of my latest book: Brain Matter: The Survivor’s Guide to Brain Injury Claims.
I have been representing survivors of traumatic brain injury for 20 years. After spending years volunteering with the Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia I realized there is a real lack of public awareness about traumatic brain injury claims.
So I decided to write a book to try to help educate the public and to provide information to brain injury survivors, and their families, about the legal issues surrounding traumatic brain injuries.
Brain Matter: The Survivor’s Guide to Brain Injury Claims is now for sale on Amazon.com. They even have an e-book version for Kindle.
I’m donating all the sale proceeds from Amazon.com to BIANS.
