Knowledge Experience Compassion Service 
All too often, individuals sustain brain injuries and do not even realize it right away. This is dangerous. When a person decides not to seek medical care after a bump or blow to the head or body, they are putting themselves at risk. Sometimes, it takes time for a brain bleed or brain swelling to result in any symptoms that could indicate that there is a problem. By the time many individuals seek medical care for a brain injury, there has already been extensive damage, damage that can sometimes not be reversed.
Delayed Symptoms Can Have Devastating Results
When Bob Saget passed away as a result of a brain injury in early 2022, healthcare professionals around the country began to speak up about delayed brain injury symptoms. A medical examiner who performed the autopsy says that it is most likely that Saget fell and hit the back of his head, which caused bleeding on the brain. However, Saget was found in his bed, which means he likely went to sleep and thought that his injury was not severe. Unfortunately, he passed away in his sleep during the night.
This type of scenario happens all too often. Individuals sustain a bump or blow to the head or body, which causes a brain injury that they are not even aware of right away. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of a brain injury can be masked for some time after the initial incident occurs. This could be due to bleeding on the brain that does not show symptoms right away or continued swelling of the brain that occurs over time.
What Symptoms Should You Watch Out For?
If you or somebody you care about has sustained a bump or blow to the head or body, we strongly encourage you to seek medical treatment right away. Even if you feel fine initially after the incident, you need to let a doctor perform the appropriate tests to determine whether or not there is a more severe underlying injury.
In the hours or days following a brain injury, there are various signs and symptoms that you need to be aware of that could indicate an increasing problem underneath the skull. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Increasing severity of headaches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Trouble waking up or sleeping
- New problems with speech, dizziness, or balance
- Blurred vision, ringing in the ears, or bad taste in the mouth
- New sensitivity to light or sound
- Cognitive or behavioral changes
- Pupils of unequal sizes
Sometimes, a brain injury victim is able to recognize that something is not quite right, but it is often the family members or friends around them that realize something is wrong. In the event you notice any symptoms that could indicate a brain injury is ongoing, you need to call 911 or get to the emergency department immediately.
Medical professionals will act quickly to address the underlying potential brain injury, and assume that they are able to do so, the better. The longer a brain injury goes untreated, the more likely the victim is likely to experience permanent disability or even death.