The symptoms of moderate to severe TBI are very serious and can have an effect on many aspects of the patient’s life. With moderate to severe injuries, a coma is not uncommon. As the patient comes out of the coma, they may have some of the following symptoms:
- a headache that gets worse or does not go away
- dizziness
- pain
- fatigue
- repeated vomiting or nausea
- convulsions or seizures
- the inability to wake up from sleep
- dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes
- problems speaking
- weakness or numbness in the hands and feet
- loss of coordination
- confusion, restlessness, or agitation, and
- problems sleeping
Another symptom of TBI is memory loss, called post-traumatic amnesia, or PTA. How long the amnesia lasts helps determine how badly the brain is injured. If PTA lasts for more than one week, long-term problems with thinking, planning, behavior and personality are more likely.