If you get injured in a car accident, it’s important to be very vigilant about getting medical treatment. This is especially true if you’ve suffered a brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can have long-lasting ramifications and can even change the course of your life. They may also require prompt treatment, which should never be delayed.
One example of this is an injury known as a subdural hematoma. There are protective tissues that surround your brain within your skull. But if the brain moves violently and unexpectedly – such as during a car crash – then these tissues can be damaged. This can cause bleeding to start in the spaces between the tissue and the brain itself.
If this bleeding continues unchecked, pressure continues to build up on the brain. This can lead to all sorts of symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, mental confusion and much more. But in the most serious cases, you could be at risk of passing out or even passing away. Untreated, a subdural hematoma can be fatal because it continues to increase the damage being done to your brain as pressure from the bleeding builds up unabated.
Should you go to sleep?
In fact, this is the reason why people say it’s not wise to go to sleep after a brain injury. It’s not that sleep itself harms the body. It can be good and helpful, allowing the body to heal.
But the problem is that symptoms can’t be monitored while you’re asleep. If your brain injury is getting worse, you may have no idea what is happening. All of the symptoms are hidden until they become very serious. This is why it’s best to talk to medical professionals first and then get some rest if they tell you that it is the best course of action.
Naturally, the type of treatment needed to address a subdural hematoma – which can include surgery – can be prohibitively expensive. If you were injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, or because they acted negligently, then you may be able to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and related costs. Be sure you know what legal steps to take.