Head injury symptoms and signs

Head injury symptoms can vary depending on the severity of the injury.

Minor head injuries, also known as concussion, can cause:

If you, or someone you know, has experienced any of these head injury symptoms, use our flowchart for guidance on what you should do next. If you’re worried about your symptoms, you should always seek medical advice first. If the symptoms following a minor head injury persist the individual may be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

Brain injury symptoms and signs

Brain injury symptoms can have a short-term or permanent effect on an individual. While most symptoms of minor head injuries can be treated at home, more severe head injuries require medical attention as soon as possible to avoid the risk of permanent brain damage. The more severe the brain injury is the more pronounced the effects will be.

What are the signs of brain damage?

Difficulties in planning and completing tasks, repeating the same actions, or visual defects are just a few signs of brain damage. You should see your GP if you continue to suffer from these brain injury symptoms more than two weeks after the accident.

What are the effects of brain damage?

Depending on the severity of the injury, a head injury can sometimes lead to temporary or permanent brain damage.

Even after a minor head injury, you can still suffer the effects of temporary brain damage, such as headaches, dizziness and memory problems. However, more severe head injuries can affect the person’s personality and have an impact on their behaviour. An acquired brain injury can dramatically affect how they think, feel, act and how their body works. Someone who has a severe acquired brain injury is unlikely to fully recover and will need ongoing care, support and rehabilitation to help them to cope following the injury.