Episode 10: Concussions Sustained in Car Accidents

The conventional wisdom is that if you don’t hit your head on anything in the car, that you can’t have a concussion. And that’s simply not true. You can sustain a concussion from any rapid deceleration of the head. This is exactly what can happen to a person’s head when they’re involved in a car accident. Conventional wisdom also says that if you have a “clean” CT scan that you, also, can’t have a concussion. Again, this is simply untrue. The CT scan is merely to check for fractures and bleeding. If you don’t have a fracture or internal bleeding, that’s a good thing. But that does not mean you don’t have a concussion. A concussion is, what’s called, a “clinical diagnosis” and only skilled physicians can make such a diagnosis. Very often, ER physicians don’t even bother trying. Their job is to ensure you’re stable and discharge you. So, if you’ve been in a car accident and you’re experiencing headaches, strange dreams, sleeplessness, a lack of mental focus or acuity, vision problems or memory problems, you may have a concussion and you should seek the help of a specialist. If you have questions about this, you can call my office at 770-322-4990.