Post-Traumatic Brain Injury and The Risk of Seizure

Brain injuries are among the most common sources of disability or death and, thus, should always be handled with the utmost seriousness. At TonaLaw, our head injury lawyers are dedicated to ensuring our head injury clients receive their full rights and compensation. You can contact us today at 1-833-TONALAW for a free consultation. We don’t ask or accept payment until your brain injury lawsuit is successfully resolved.

In the wake of a tragic event, our fearless attorneys will aggressively battle for you against all odds to ensure you obtain the compensation you deserve. They are committed to protecting and defending your rights. If you are looking for a dependable Long Island brain injury lawyer, contact TonaLaw. Our team of knowledgeable personal injury attorneys is available to discuss your case and answer any questions.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) is a type of injury to the brain that can permanently change your life. It doesn’t matter if someone sustains a TBI due to a sports accident, a fall, an assault, or a car accident. Any brain injury can impact a person’s physical and psychological health. TBI victims may also experience additional long-term effects in the future.

Possible Results From Brain Injury

The danger zone of having a seizure after a TBI is typically within a few weeks following the injury. Ten percent of head injury hospital patients develop seizures. However, for some people, seizures can begin months or years after a brain injury.

Understanding What to Do in a Seizure

Seizures from TBIs are categorized according to when the first episode occurs:

• Early Post-Traumatic Seizures

Early post-traumatic seizures can occur within the first week following a TBI. Approximately twenty-five percent of those experiencing early post-traumatic seizures are also subject to later episodes. Still, those seizures may happen months or years later.

• Late Post-Traumatic Seizures

Seizures occurring after seven days following a TBI are called “late post-traumatic seizures.” Notably, and unfortunately, eighty percent of TBI patients who develop late post-traumatic seizures will experience additional seizures over their lifespans.

•   Epilepsy

 Someone who frequently experiences seizures has epilepsy. Most people who develop epilepsy after suffering a severe brain injury have seizures for the remainder of their lives.

What Happens During a Seizure?

Seizures result when the brain’s regular electrical activity is disrupted. After a head injury, this could occur for several reasons, including structural damage to the brain or bleeding on the brain. In addition, electrical signals have the potential to short-circuit when they no longer follow their usual paths. Another possibility to explain a seizure is that it is an electrical surge in the brain. 

There are numerous symptoms of a seizure. However, some symptoms are so subtle that simple observation makes it challenging to notice them. On the other hand, seizures can cause someone to become unconscious, lose memory, or experience violent, uncontrollable bodily movements. Seizure warning indicators include:

• Not responding to touch or voice while fixating on nothing in particular
• Erratic eye motions
• Mouthing and chewing
• A sudden, intense weariness that may be accompanied by vertigo
• Inability to communicate or comprehend others
• Uncontrollable jerking of the body, legs, and arms
• Overall, trembling; and
• Bladder or bowel control function loss.

It could take some time following the seizure for you to realize you had one, and become cognizant of your surroundings. You can need a few days to recover from seizures lasting longer than two minutes fully. You might also become more confused and have trouble walking and speaking.

Factors Increasing the Risk of Seizures

One’s likelihood of experiencing seizures following head trauma depends on different variables. Seizures mainly occur from injuries that penetrate, like gunshot wounds. Up to seventy percent of people with penetrative TBIs will experience seizures. If brain surgeries are required to treat damage or remove blood clots from the brain following trauma, the risk of seizures is around thirty-five percent. But, if the brain injury is wholly confined within the skull (no surgery or piercing wounds), the risk is about twenty percent.

Regardless of a person’s brain damage history, using alcohol or drugs significantly enhances the risk of having a seizure following a TBI. Seizures while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are extremely dangerous and may be deadly. Because of the alcohol and drugs, you are more likely to vomit, but you’ll lack normally functioning gag reflexes that are usually in place to protect you.

Stress and insufficient sleep also increase the risk of a TBI victim experiencing seizures. A seizure may occasionally occur when the person is stressed out and exhausted, even years after the initial head trauma. The risk of seizures can also be increased by conditions unrelated to a brain injury. For example, seizure activity may be brought on by an electrolyte imbalance, such as low sodium, or by a high-grade fever.

Traumatic Brain Injury Law Firm

If you or someone you know has suffered a TBI from an accident, contact TonaLaw, the experienced and skilled Long Island traumatic brain injury law firm, immediately. We’ll ensure you have the information, self-assurance, and assistance you require to heal and proceed with your life. Call 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to schedule your free case evaluation.