Do you suspect a concussion? Don’t wait to get treatment

Any type of blow to the head can cause a serious brain injury, such as a concussion. For example, if you fall off a ladder at work, it’s possible that you’ll hit your head on the way down or upon landing on the ground.

There’s never a good time to treat a concussion on your own. Instead, you should seek immediate medical attention. Your medical team will take the following steps:

• Conduct a neurological examination
• Conduct cognitive testing
• Order a variety of imaging tests
• Observe your behavior (oftentimes overnight)

By doing all these things, your doctor will better understand the extent of your injury and the type of treatment that will provide the best results.

In regard to treatment, you can expect the following:

• Plenty of rest, thus giving your brain time to recover and heal
• Avoiding physically and mentally strenuous activities
• Medication to help relieve pain

Also, your doctor will ask you to keep a close eye on your symptoms, as any change can point toward a more serious issue. Furthermore, if you’re not progressing in your recovery, your doctor may want to order additional tests to make sure nothing else is going on.

Once you’re on the road to recovery, you can determine if it makes sense to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. If you suffered your injury on the job, this is something you should consider. The money you receive will help your financial situation as you recover and slowly work toward returning to your job.

In the event of a workers’ compensation denial, learn more about how to file an appeal. You shouldn’t give up until you exhaust all your options.