It is certainly true that some brain injuries manifest symptoms immediately. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) could cause someone to lose consciousness, feel disoriented and experience headaches, among many other symptoms. A TBI may occur when someone strikes their head in a car accident or in a slip-and-fall accident, just to name two examples.
However, medical professionals warn that brain injuries can also feature delayed symptoms. This reality can cause injury victims to erroneously believe that they have not been seriously injured. The truth, however, may be that their brain injury is still getting worse, even long after the incident itself. In some cases, this delay can have severe ramifications. It may even lead to death.
The development of a hematoma
One way in which brain-related trauma can get worse over time occurs when a blood vessel has ruptured within the brain or the surrounding tissue. The blood naturally clots as the body tries to get the bleeding to stop. This clot is known as a hematoma, and it may start small and continue growing. Unfortunately, there are cases in which the hematoma grows so large that it puts excessive pressure on the brain. This can lead to severe injuries and even fatalities. Brain cells that are compressed may die, and they are unable to be regenerated.
Hematomas go by a few different names, depending on where in the brain they’re located. The tissue surrounding the brain is known as dura matter, so a blood clot between this layer in the brain itself is known as a subdural hematoma, for instance. If the clot is deeper in the tissue of the brain itself, then it will be known as an intracerebral hematoma.
Seeking proper treatment
Issues like this are why are you’ll always want to seek medical treatment after sustaining a possible brain injury, even if it doesn’t seem serious. If you’ve lost a loved one or suffered injuries yourself, then you will also need to know how to seek financial compensation with the assistance of a legal professional in the event that your harm was caused by another’s actions or inactions.
