4 common symptoms of a TBI

It’d be nice if every employee avoided injuries on the job. Unfortunately, many injuries occur in workplaces and some can be severe, such as a TBI (traumatic brain injury). These comprise about 60 percent of workers’ compensation head injury claims.

Here are four common symptoms of a TBI.

1. Persistent headaches

It’s usual to get a headache from stress or fatigue, but it typically goes away within a few hours after some rest or sleep. A headache from a TBI may last longer.

2. Mood changes

Everyone acts out of character sometimes, especially under extreme stress. However, it’s not normal for someone to have a sudden personality change out of nowhere. For example, a typically quiet and reserved individual goes off in a rage because they thought their co-worker gave them sugarless coffee on purpose.

3. Changes in sleep patterns

Many people go to bed at night and are active during the day. With that said, a TBI greatly disrupts sleep patterns by inducing insomnia or narcolepsy. In fact, studies show that TBI patients are three times more likely to have sleeping disorders than the general population, and approximately 60 percent of people with a TBI experience long-term sleep disorders.

4. Memory loss/amnesia

A TBI can damage the medial temporal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for memory function. While many people with TBI retain their long-term memory — such as a lecture from school — they might struggle with short-term memory, like where they put their keys or what they had for breakfast the day before.

If you or a loved one recently sustained a TBI at work, seek legal guidance to learn about workers’ compensation.