WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER A SERIOUS INJURY TO THE BRAIN?

A closed brain injury can sometimes be hard to identify, as there may be very little external trauma to note. As such, it's important to know what happens right after a serious injury so that symptoms can be spotted.

Below are a few things that happen right after the brain is injured.

1. In some cases, the person becomes unconscious. This could last for just a few seconds, a few minutes, or even for days and weeks. Some people never wake up. It all depends on the severity of the injury. The important thing to note is that a brain injury is likely if the person lost consciousness for any amount of time.

2. Inside the brain, secondary cell death may be occurring. Some cells may be killed outright at the time of injury, but substances can be released within the brain by the impact or injury. As these flood through the tissue, they can kill other cells, so brain damage can get worse, even though the event itself is over.

3. When the person wakes back up, all manner of symptoms could show themselves. Often, the person will not remember the event and may not even remember the last few hours before it.

Some people can lose entire days. People may also feel dizzy, they may be sick, and they could complain of a headache. They may be disoriented. Motor function could be inhibited, and they could have problems with breathing. When the brain is injured, because of its control over the entire body, parts of the body that were otherwise not involved in the incident can be impacted.

​When a loved one suffers a serious brain injury in Arizona, you may be able to seek compensation.
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Source: Brainline, "What Happens Immediately After the Injury?," accessed April 14, 2016