When most people think of brain injuries, including concussion, they think about a direct blow to the head. Whether that happens from a collision or when the head hits a floor in a fall, that impact can cause a brain injury. However, you should not dismiss the potential for a brain injury even without impact.
You can suffer a brain injury even when you do not hit your head.
What causes a brain injury?
Brain injuries result from the brain coming into contact with the skull. This can occur as a result of impact to the head, but it can also result from a sudden change in force or gravity affecting the body. When the body jolts or shifts suddenly, the brain may shift as well, colliding with the skull and causing a brain injury.
How can a brain injury occur without hitting your head?
When you are in a car accident, the force of impact causes your body to jolt. When that happens, even if you do not hit your head, your brain can shift inside your skull. Similarly, if you fall, the result of that movement and the gravitational force on your brain can cause it to collide with your skull even when your head never hits the floor.
Understanding the risk of brain injury both with and without impact helps you address potential symptoms right away and seek treatment when necessary. Brain injuries can lead to serious long-term consequences if untreated, so be attentive and ask for an evaluation at the earliest sign of symptoms.