While cars offer many advantages and look great, and fulfill many of our psychological needs, they are also quite dangerous machines. If you are involved in a car accident there are many injuries that you can sustain. One such serious injury you can sustain is a head injury. You may have noticed, if you ever experienced a head injury yourself or witnessed one in real life or on television, that a great deal of emphasis is placed on inspecting the victim. Even when the blow to the head seemed light or the wound minimal, medical personnel are always very eager to examine someone who has suffered head trauma: this is because serious head injuries and brain injuries are not always immediately obvious, but can have very dangerous long term effects.
The brain’s tissues can be easily damaged as they are a fragile construction; this can lead to chronic disruption of the brain’s function, causing someone to experience violent symptoms such as painful headaches, depression, memory loss, loss of motor functions, and inhibitions to processing capabilities – a victim of brain damage may lose control of their body and/or mind if not treated quickly and carefully. These symptoms are serious and should be checked out immediately if they are spotted.
Other symptoms can also be caused by serious head injuries, reflecting a change in hormone levels throughout the body. This can happen if the pituitary gland, which lies at the base of the brain, is damaged. The gland controls almost all of the body’s hormone systems, so if it becomes damaged those hormones become disrupted. It is very important to remember that these symptoms are not always immediately obvious – anyone who has suffered an injury should be wary of any change in their health in the following weeks and months.
Head injuries may also lead to skull fractures – this kind of injury is not always obvious either, unless an x-ray is taken. A skull fracture, although subtle, can cause bleeding and serious damage to the brain within the skull if it is left untreated. This is why it is important to see a medical professional after any head injury, and they will administer an x-ray if necessary.
