What To Do If You Have A Headache After A Car Accident

Car Accident Headaches & Brain Injuries

Headaches following a car accident are often dismissed as minor, but they can signal serious, even life-threatening, brain injuries.

A blow to the head in a crash can cause bruising, swelling, and soft tissue damage to the brain.

Victims can suffer headaches even if they didn't hit their head in the wreck.

The sudden and violent jolt of a motor vehicle accident can cause concussions or whiplash leading to intense headaches even if you didn't receive a blow to the head.

In severe cases headaches may indicate an intracranial hemorrhage or brain bleed.

Blood vessels damaged in a crash are weakened and can rupture from the force of a collision or in the days to follow as swelling sets in.

If you have a severe or persistent headache after a car accident you should NEVER ignore it.

Severe and consistent headaches after a crash may indicate a concussion or brain injury requiring immediate treatment.

Unrecognized and untreated, bleeding can cause further brain damage and prove fatal.

At Lawsuit Legal our auto accident attorneys regulary encounter collision victims with headaches that were the result of undiagnosed brain injuries. After a serious accident contact our personal injury lawyer now to get a free case consultation to get the help you need.

Types of Headaches Car Accidents Can Cause

Fracture Headaches

Symptoms of a skull fracture can include swelling, severe pain, and bleeding from the ears, nose, or eyes. The force of hitting your head against the vehicle's windshield or dashboard can result in a fractured skull and cause constant headaches. We most commonly encounter intracrannial bleeds caused by bone fragments penetrating the sensitive membrane surrounding the brain caused by the impact.

A severe blow to the head in a car accident can cause seizures in some cases.

Skull fractures are more easily diagnosed as a cause for chronic headaches after a car accident. A constant headache may indicate post-concussion syndrome. If left untreated, brain bleeds and swelling can lead to brain damage with severe consequences and the potential for chronic pain.

Sudden head pain at the base of the skull after a car accident should never be ignored, as ignoring the symptoms could risk life-long complications and even prove fatal.

Similarly, a feeling of pressure across the forehead, temples, or back of the head is a potential sign of an undiagnosed brain injury.

 

 

Muscle Strain Headaches

Whiplash headaches after a collision can even result without a direct blow to the head. When the soft tissues of the neck, head, and upper back muscles stretch and tear in a crash it can result in constant headaches. Tight muscles and spasms can cause inflammation and tension which presents as dull pain in the head along with pain performing certain movements. Spasm headaches caused by muscle damage can cause mobility issues and will typically appear within hours or days of an accident.

In the days following a collision the damage to muscle tissue is more likely to cause a post-traumatic headache as pain radiates up into the head from the injury site.

Whiplash Headaches

Can whiplash cause brain injury?

When involved in a collision the driver and passenger's heads experience unnatural, rapid and forceful movements known as whiplash. This intense movement can be side to side but is normally back to front. This can cause an acceleration deceleration injury to the brain.

How does whiplash cause brain damage if I didn't hit my head?

Our brain rests comfortably within our skulls encased in cerebral fluid. Suspended in this fluid our brain avoids hurting itself by not hitting the hard inner skull.

During whiplash the violent shaking of the brain within the skull causes the brain tissue to hit the inner skull. The damage can occur without contact in a sudden stop car accident. Cranial bruising and bleeding can result as well as the unbalancing of cerebral fluid. When this happens damage to the sensitive brain tissue and blood vessels can result in whiplash headaches or more severe damage.

The brain essentially bounces around inside the skull during the rapid acceleration-deceleration of whiplash, potentially leading to bruising, bleeding, and disruption of cerebrospinal fluid.

Brain injuries from whiplash-induced trauma are considered TBI and should be treated as such. The result of this injury will cause painful long term damage and debilitating headaches.

Concussion Headaches

Concussions are a mild form of traumatic brain injury with symptoms that commonly include headaches. While most people recover completely after a few weeks, if post-concussion symptoms persist it is important to review your condition with a neurologist. Other symptoms of a car accident concussions may include confusion and potential memory loss for the time surrounding the crash. Post-concussive headaches can range in severity and present complex symptoms unlike a normal headache depending on the nature of the injury.

While head pain is to be expected after suffering a concussion, chronic headaches may be indicative of something more serious and you should consult your doctor..

Debilitating Tension Headaches (Chronic Head Pain)

Persistent headaches after blow to the head should not be ignored. It may indicate a severe concussion or something more serious. Minor vehicle collisions can result in mild traumatic brain injury even without a direct impact to the head.

The first long-term effect of minor cranial trauma can be tension headaches. These can last from 30 minutes to an entire week. This head pain can happen all day or occasionally everyday. This condition is debilitating and may be chronic.

Post-accident headaches or migraines are chronic when occurring for more than 15 days a month for a minimum of three straight months. Chronic headaches are debilitatingly and change people’s lives forever.

Thunderclap Headache

A sudden onset "Thunderclap" headache is an indication of a burst blood vessel. It is described by sufferers as a severe headache, with excrutiating pain, that reaches maximum intensity after about 60 seconds. A thunderclap headache is extremely painful, comes on suddenly, and may indicate an artery is bleeding inside the skull in the space around your brain. It is considered a medical emergency and is often described by victims as "the worst headache ever."

In the case of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, if the bleeding is not stopped the pressure will build up in the skull and can prove fatal. It is important to seek medical attention right away to treat the aneurysm rupture and subsequent bleeding in such cases.