Traumatic Brain Injury? Symptoms to Watch
Questions to ask your doctor about ongoing TBI symptoms
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can hide in plain sight. You may talk, walk, and look normal, but a TBI may impact your ability to function. Although most TBIs are not life-threatening, they may still have long-lasting effects. Symptoms of a TBI can include headaches, sleep changes, difficulty learning and remembering, trouble paying attention, dizziness, lack of coordination, and vision changes.
Most symptoms from TBI resolve over time. If you have persistent symptoms since your trauma, you should discuss this with your doctor at your next visit. Here are a few questions you can ask if you have ongoing symptoms:
Are the medicines I’m taking okay? You shouldn’t take anything without checking with your doctor first, including supplements and other over-the-counter medications.
Are there any specialists I should be seeing? Rehabilitation and other interventions can help with common symptoms after TBI.
What else can I do to decrease my symptoms? Exercising, eating well, and good sleep habits can improve symptoms after TBI and improve your overall health.
What can I do about my frequent headaches? Your doctor can tell you about medications and other non-medication approaches that can help with headaches and other types of pain.
My family says I snore loudly. Should I be worried? TBI can cause problems with sleep, including insomnia and sleep apnea. Your doctor can evaluate and treat these problems.
Let My HealtheVet help
Be sure to alert your health care team if your symptoms get worse. With a Premium My HealtheVet account, you can send your doctor any concerns or questions before or after appointments with Secure Messaging.
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