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When Is a Mild TBI "Mild"?
Michael Paul Mason, BrainLine
If I witness someone who sustains a blow to the head, how can I best offer help?
Brain injuries are extremely common, but their detection can be very complicated. Even in the case of mild brain injuries, there are more than forty different variables that might indicate trauma — ranging from changes in speech and vision to memory lapses and dizziness.
The best rule of thumb is if you suspect a brain injury has occurred, call for — or seek — immediate medical help. In most cases, emergency responders are trained to detect brain injury. If the injured person insists he is okay, ask him to please wait until medical help arrives because not all brain injuries are immediately apparent and symptoms can emerge hours or even days later.
It's critical to seek medical attention in a hospital or emergency department if any of these symptoms are present:
- Loss of consciousness, even if only briefly
- Any period of amnesia, or loss of memory for the event
- Feeling dazed or confused
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Seizure
- In addition, for children under 2 years of age, any scalp swelling or abnormality in the way they usually behave.
Click here to go to About Ask the Expert.
Michael Paul Mason is the founding editor of This Land, a monthly magazine based in Tulsa. Mason's first book, Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath is an exploration into the harsh realities endured by people with brain injury survivors.
The contents of Brainline (the “Web Site”), such as text, graphics, images, information obtained from the Web Site’s licensors and/or consultants, and other material contained on the Web Site (collectively, the “Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for medical, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Specifically, with regards to medical issues, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Web Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The Web Site does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Web Site. Reliance on any information provided by the Web Site or by employees, volunteers or contractors or others associated with the Web Site and/or other visitors to the Web Site is solely at your own risk.
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