You just had a head injury. Maybe you were in a car accident, had a fall, or you suffered a blow to the head while playing sports—whatever the reason, you need to know what to do. Here are five steps to take to help you process what happened and put yourself in the best position for recovery.
1. Validate and Assess Your Head Injury
After being injured, the first thing you should do is take a moment to self-analyze. Is it a serious injury? If so, can you move? Do you feel like you can get yourself help or do you need someone to help you immediately? No matter what caused the injury, you need to take a second to clarify to yourself what you think is happening in your own body.
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2. Talk to Someone About Your Injury
After you have evaluated yourself, you know how you feel, but sometimes symptoms aren’t obvious to the sufferer. If you are with people, talk to someone and ask them if you’re behaving normally. If you are alone, call someone and talk to them to see if you need to call for help.
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3. Call a Medical Professional
Don’t take any unnecessary chances. If there is severe pain or bleeding, if you fell unconscious or felt sleepy or confused, or have serious neck pain, you need to call a medical professional right away.
If you are with other people, ask them to call an ambulance or doctor for you. But if you are alone, make sure you contact a medical professional to come help you.
4. Take Notes and Highlight Head Injury Symptoms
When you file a personal injury lawsuit or workers’ compensation claim, it will be vital that you have all the details of what happened. Take a minute while you wait for a medical professional and write down what happened, where it happened, and any symptoms you are feeling at the moment. If you are seriously injured and with another person, have them take the notes.
Do you have ringing in the ears, blurred vision, balance problems or dizziness, light or noise sensitivity, headaches or memory loss? Not only will documenting your symptoms and taking notes be essential in helping medical professionals treat you, it may also may prove important in any legal action that may arise.
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5. Stay Calm and Apply Something Cold
When you’ve injured your head, it’s essential to remain calm, at rest and to avoid noise, lights and electronics. Don’t panic and try your best to keep yourself calm until help arrives.
If possible, apply something cold to the head to slow swelling.
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