If you injure your head, it can change your life in several ways, none of them positive. There are more severe head injuries and less serious ones, but if you sustain this injury type, you’re probably in for a challenging time. Perhaps you may recover eventually, or you may never be the same.
You might suffer a head injury if you’re in a car wreck or you slip and fall. You might sustain one playing sports or if you fall off a roof while cleaning your gutters.
However it happens, you should know about how your life may change if this happens to you.
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You Might Develop Dysarthria
One thing that may happen if you hurt your head is that you might develop dysarthria. This is a condition:
- That disrupts your speech abilities
- Thatadversely affects your jaw or tongue’s movements
There are several ways you might be able to tell if you’re dealing with dysarthria after a head injury. You may be unable to completely control your voice’s pitch. You could lose the ability to control your voice’s volume or to vary your tone.
You might not be able to speak as strongly, so your voice seems unnatural or breathy. If this happens, you may not be as confident as you once were. You might avoid social situations.
You Might Have Short-Term Memory Loss
If you hit your head, you might sustain a concussion. If this happens:
- You might feel nauseous afterward
- You may feel dizzy
- You could have some short-term memory loss
You won’t enjoy any of this, but the short-term memory loss can be particularly challenging for you to navigate. If you go into a room, you may not remember why you did it. If you go to the store, you may not recollect why you’re there.
Typically, this will go away after a time. It can frustrate you while it’s happening, but if the head injury was not that severe, you’ll get better. Meanwhile, you might take notes on your smartphone or jot them down to help you remember things like your daily schedule.
You May Have Long-Term Memory Loss
When you hit your head hard enough, you might have to deal with long-term memory loss as well. If you’re experiencing this, it’s more than just a simple concussion. It indicates more serious trauma.
You’ll have to talk to a doctor about some possible solutions. You might look at old pictures or family heirlooms to jog your memory. Your family might speak to you about things you did in the past, like trips you took or birthday parties they had for you.
If you hit your head, and you’re in a coma for a while afterward, you might have some long-term memory loss when you wake up. Medical science still does not know all that much about comas and how they work. The memory-jogging your family employs will probably be the same here as well.
You May Not Be Able to Hold the Same Job You Once Did
If you hurt your head, it can damage your cognitive abilities. This can impact your career. It all depends on how bad the brain damage is and what you do for a living.
If you do something like operate a cash register and stock shelves, you can probably still do those things. However, maybe you’re an airline pilot or a long-haul trucker. You need exceptional hand-eye coordination and fast reflexes for those professions.
You may find that you’re simply not able to do those jobs anymore. If so, you might have to change careers. If the doctors don’t feel like you will ever fully recover, you might be able to go on disability.
If you hurt yourself at work, this is much more likely. If you hurt your head because of your negligent behavior, it might not be possible.
Your Personality Might Change
Some individuals who sustain head injuries find that their personalities change. You might lose their temper more. You may face depression sometimes, when you never did before.
You can sometimes go into therapy to deal with this. You have to find a way to combat these changes, though, because if you don’t, your family or friends might not want to spend time with you. They might show some patience, but it’s probably not infinite.
Head injuries are tough, but if you try hard, you can usually persevere. You may not be quite the same afterward, but you can still resume your life.
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