I also learned that the symptoms of an acute head trauma often do not show up until days or even weeks after a car or bike crash. That is why it is so important to watch a friend or family member who ha been in a car crash or bike accident in the days that follow. They may not remember hitting their head. They may not remember a loss of consciousness. They may have short and/or long term memory loss. They may develop headaches – perhaps from the initial impact, or from the second impact (i.e., from the airbag’s explosion or “bouncing on the pavement”). They may not even remember that they had a concussion.

At the Brain Injury seminar in Richmond, I learned that the microscopic injuries to brain cells do not show up very well on diagnostic imaging and are hard to diagnose. The brain cells inside the skull can “shear” or be torn by the sharp protuberances inside the head that keep the various lobes separated. If you or someone you know had sustained a head injury, and have continued symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory loss, etc., help them to get to a neurological specialist quickly.