Concussions are big in the news lately with the emphasis on sports injuries at all levels from youth football to the NFL.
But the work place is also an environment in which people suffer from head injuries.
Concussions involve trauma to the head that interrupts functioning of the brain.
Usually no damage shows up on an MRI of the brain from a concussion.
Most concussions take place without a loss of consciousness.
Typical symptoms include headaches, concentration problems, irritability, nausea, dizziness, and slower reaction times.
It may take some time to recover from a concussion and medication may be prescribed to address headaches.
Neurologists are usually the kind of doctor who diagnoses and treats people with concussions.
In Workers’ Compensation cases the concern is whether you will be able to return to the type of work you once were able to perform.
This may be especially important in highly skilled jobs that involve a lot information processing and decision making. It may also be important in jobs that may expose you to repeated head trauma because multiple head trauma increases the severity of the symptoms.
In addition, if severe headaches are involved then a person may not be able to stay on task enough to perform their job.
It is important to get to a specialist as soon as possible for testing and treatment if you suspect you have had a concussion.
Questions about your work injury? Feel free to contact Illinois Work Comp Lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.