Physical effects of a head injury

People who have suffered a head injury will often experience lasting physical effects. After the individual has been treated for the immediate effects of their injury they may still have to deal with a whole range of symptoms which are directly related to their accident. These symptoms can alter a person’s life and lead to dependence on other people in order to carry out day to day tasks. The brain is an extremely delicate organ and any impact upon it can cause lasting damage. If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault and now are suffering from a head injury then you are entitled to claim personal injury compensation. We can help you to do this and will help you to look to the future with our no risk, No Win No Fee service.

The following information details the physical effects of a head injury.

Headaches
People who have had a head injury in the past, whether it was a mild or severe injury, often experience headaches for several years afterwards. They can be brought on by stressful situations or exertion. If someone is affected by headaches after a head injury then they can be treated with similar drugs and therapy to people who suffer from migraines.

Exhaustion
After an accident energy may be in limited supply. People who have suffered a head injury need to get plenty of rest to build up their energy reserve so physical effort of any kind can cause fatigue. This is extremely debilitating as carrying out the smallest tasks can become incredibly difficult and frustrating. The injured person must rest as much as possible to get back to full strength.

Coordination, balance, movement
If a head injury results in damage to the cerebellum ( the part of the brain concerned with fine motor coordination and body movement, posture, and balance; it is part of the hindbrain and is attached to the rear portion of the brain stem) , the motor cortex ( the region of the cortex close to the parietal lobes concerned with voluntary muscle movement) or the brain stem ( the portion of the brain closest to the spinal cord. It consists of the medulla, pons, and midbrain and controls many of the involuntary functions that keep us alive), then movement and coordination difficulties will probably occur. Quite often people who have damage of this kind will experience paralysis on one side of the body. They may also experience loss of balance and dizziness. Frequently patients who suffer from serious incapacitating head injuries may have to learn to walk again. This is a long process that will involve physiotherapy and ongoing rehabilitation.

Dyspraxia
This is the inability to perform coordinated movements, especially speech, with no apparent problem in the muscles or nerves. It is a different condition to loss of movement as previously described. The injured person is able to move but not to put together movements intentionally. Rehabilitation will be needed by dyspraxia sufferers to break down movements into manageable sequences with cues and prompts.

Epilepsy
Epilepsy may be caused by a head injury where the head is penetrated by a foreign object during an accident. Even when the injury has healed, scar tissue can cause epilepsy by making electrical activity unstable in that area of the brain. This causes periods of uncontrollable activity. Sometimes seizures brought on by epilepsy do not occur until several years after the accident.

Incontinence
This can occur as a result of a head injury as the cognitive skills needed to recognise the need to use the toilet may be diminished. This basic skill may need to be re-learnt after a head injury along with other skill such as walking and feeding oneself.

Speaking and swallowing problems; dysarthria and dysphagia
Dysarthria can be defined as a disturbance of speech and language due to emotional stress, to brain injury, or to paralysis, incoordination, or spasticity of the muscles used for speaking. It occurs in head injury patients when damage to the cranial nerve has occurred. It means that the nerve needed for speech becomes damaged and uncoordinated.

Dysphagia can be defined as difficulty in swallowing. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke or a head injury. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration pneumonia and dehydration. In the short term the sufferer may have to be fed through a tube.

Rehabilitation following a head injury
If you or a loved one has been affected by a head injury and has ongoing health problems then it is important that rehabilitation is sought.

At YouClaim we can arrange for you to receive the best in medical and rehabilitation services. To speak to one of our friendly team or to get free legal advice call us now on freephone 0800 10 757 95. If you wish to make a personal injury claim after a head injury we will be happy to discuss this with you. We can assess the viability of your claim and then assign a specialist personal injury solicitor.

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