Halifax Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Do You Have to Hit Your Head to Suffer a Brain Injury?

Most people think that in order to injure your brain, you actually have to hit your head on something. This is one of the most unfortunate myths of brain injury. Many people who have suffered a brain injury do not get timely medical treatment because they do not realize that it is possible to injure your brain without striking your head.

The Anatomy of the Skull:

In order to understand why this myth is incorrect you have to learn a little about the anatomy of the skull. The inside of the skull isn’t smooth like the inside of a bowl. The base of the inside of your skull is rough with several bony ridges or spikes. These ridges can cause an injury to the brain during periods of rapid acceleration and deceleration.

Like a Sponge in a Bucket:

Have you ever used a sponge in a bucket of water to wash your car or your floors or windows? The easiest way I have found to explain how the brain can suffer an injury without the head being struck is to think of the sponge floating in the middle of a bucket of water.

The bucket represents your skull. The water is the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain. The sponge is your brain. If you swing the bucket back and forth, the sponge will tend to float in the center of the bucket. But if you suddenly stop swinging the bucket the sponge will bump against the inside of the bucket.

The same thing can happen to your brain if your head gets whipped back and forth. This type of injury commonly happens in rear-end or head-on collisions where the driver’s or passenger’s head suddenly whips back and forth and stops suddenly. The sudden stop causes the brain to bump up against the inside of the skull. Damage to the brain occurs at the area of impact.

So it is possible to injure your brain without hitting your head and without ever losing consciousness.

How Do I Know if I Have Suffered a Brain Injury?

Sometimes the trauma to the head and brain is so significant, the injury is obvious. But in many cases, especially if the person has not hit their head, or not lost consciousness, the injury to the brain may be so subtle, that the symptoms of brain injury are not immediately apparent.

On my website, I have listed the most common symptoms of traumatic brain injury. If you or a loved one have been in an accident, and are suffering from any of the symptoms listed here it is important that you seek medical attention. Explain to your doctor that you have been injured, explain how the injury happened, and tell your doctor about the symptoms you are having. Then your doctor can decide the most appropriate way to treat your injury.

Continue reading " Traumatic Brain Injury Claims: Myth #2 You Have to Hit Your head to Suffer a Brain Injury " »

"I wasn't knocked out. How could I have a brain injury?"

I get asked that question a lot. Some people still think that it is still necessary to suffer a loss of consciousness (be knocked out) in order to suffer a brain injury. I would say that the number 1 myth about brain injuries is that you can only suffer a brain injury if you have been knocked unconscious.

Concussion = Brain Injury

More than 30 years ago the Congress of Neurological Surgeons concluded that a head injury that leads to a change in mental status (being dazed or confused) without any loss of consciousness is a form of brain injury.

This type of injury is what is commonly referred to today as a concussion.

Shake it off and get back in the game!

When I was growing up, if a hockey player or football player “had their bell rung” it was common practise for the coach to simply have the player sit on the sidelines until they were able to “shake it off”. Then the player would return to the game.

Today, sports medicine specialists now recognize that suffering a concussion (what we used to call “having your bell rung”) is a serious injury.

Here is an excellent summary of information about sports related concussions in children.

Concussions can Cause Permanent Damage

The cumulative effects of repeated concussions can cause lasting disability and functional impairment. In fact, the risk of serious injury from concussion is so significant that the Canadian Medical Association has called for a ban on body checking for hockey players less than 15 years of age.

Family Doctors Need More Training About Brain Injury?

Over 10 years ago the Journal of the American Medical Association called for more education for family physicians about the effects of mild brain injury. The American Medical Association was concerned about a common misperception that it was necessary for a patient to be knocked unconscious in order to suffer a concussion.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, mild traumatic brain injury can occur with brief or no loss of consciousness. Studies published by the American Psychiatric Association’s Textbook of Neuropsychiatry confirms that patients with mild traumatic brain injury can have physical, perceptual, cognitive and emotional symptoms that collectively is now called post-concussive syndrome.

What Should I Do?

If you suspect you or a family member may have suffered a mild traumatic brain injury you should immediately seek medical attention. You will need to provide your doctor with complete information about how the accident happened and the symptoms that your or your family member has been suffering from since the accident.

Here is a checklist of the symptoms of concussion developed by the Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia.

Continue reading " Traumatic Brain Injury: Myth # 1 - You have to be knocked out to suffer a brain injury " »