March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month,
and statistics show nearly six
million people a year suffer from the condition.
But, the head of
neuro-surgery at White Plains Hospital says that number could be higher than
reported. "What you might think as traumatic brain injury, like a
serious car accident, where someone is in a coma
…
obviously those are the most serious
cases. But there are many other smaller minor cases just from trivial falls in
older people or sports injuries, and so, some of them don't even go
reported," says Dr. Kaushik Das, Director of Neurosurgery, White Plains Hospital.
Dr. Das says it is imperative
you look out for common warning signs of problems after hitting your head. They
include:
- Headaches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Not being able to
concentrate or focus
- Difficulty reading.
The doctor says if it has
been four to six weeks since your minor head injury, and you are still not
feeling better, go see a neurologist for further testing. This is so important
because what you think is a minor injury, could quickly growing into a
something more serious.