Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) do not need to be severe to impact day-to-day living. Even concussions or mild TBI can affect how you think, act, or even feel. It is important to get medical treatment if you think you have a TBI, even if you don’t think it is severe.
Mild TBI or concussion symptoms include:
- Headaches.
- Vision problems.
- Dizziness.
- Trouble remembering or thinking clearly.
- Anxiety.
- Irritability.
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
Visit the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Mild TBI and Concussion webpage for a complete list of symptoms. These symptoms may not appear right away. You might start to feel these symptoms weeks after you are injured.
Moderate or severe TBI symptoms include:
- Trouble with cognitive tasks like thinking, learning, and communicating.
- Trouble remembering.
- Changes or problems with physical movement, balance, and hearing or seeing.
- Emotional changes like anger, anxiety, sadness, or depression.
- Personality changes.
Many of these symptoms can also occur with a mild TBI or concussion. However, severe TBI symptoms may be more intense and last much longer, even for life. Visit the CDC’s About Potential Effects of a Moderate or Severe TBI webpage to learn more.
Where can someone find support after a TBI?
The impacts of TBI can last for a long time after the initial injury. Because TBIs damage the brain, they can impact your ability to effectively work or attend school. The following organizations are available to offer resources and support after a TBI:
- Learn about TBI care facilities in Wisconsin by reviewing the DHS Consumer Guide.
- Support groups and resources can be found on the Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin (BIAW) website.
- Information is available for those who have a brain injury or works with those with a brain injury on the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) website.
- Assistance and advise for TBI survivors and their families is available on the Brain Injury Recovery Network website.
- TBI survivors can enroll in a resource and information services program by visiting the Brain Injury Resource Center of Wisconsin (BIRCofWI) website.
