When you suffer a traumatic brain injury in a workplace accident – such as if you hit your head after a fall or are struck by an object falling from above – you have short-term and long-term symptoms. These can include sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, mental confusion, fatigue, balance issues and much more. It really depends on the severity of your TBI and exactly what part of the brain was impacted.
Thankfully, there are many brain injuries where these symptoms fade with time. You may see significant healing, even if you have minor symptoms that last for years. But it’s important to note that your injury could still have an effect on your health moving forward, in that it could increase the odds that you develop Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Degenerative brain diseases
Both of these are examples of degenerative brain diseases, or issues that get worse with time. They are often linked to aging. People will develop Alzheimer’s near the end of their life, and it can cause severe mental changes. They could struggle to remember their loved ones and other things of this nature.
This can certainly happen even if you have never had a brain injury in your life. It is often just a side effect of aging, and there may not be a cure or a surefire way to avoid it. But that’s why it’s so important to know that those who have suffered a TBI in the past have higher statistical odds of developing a type of dementia in the future.
After a workplace incident, you certainly want to think about all of the long-term impacts and costs that you may be facing. Then you can work to seek proper workers’ comp benefits.