Question: I have a friend who was in a car accident in January and hit her head. Several weeks later she had to go to the hospital because her brain was bleeding. She fortunately escaped death, however, she now says she doesn’t focus as well as she used to, and her short-term memory isn’t as good as it used to be.
Would you know of anything she can do to alleviate these symptoms?
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Trauma to our brain is often not recognized immediately. The hemorrhage your friend suffered was unfortunate, and it sounds like intervention was either unnecessary or was postponed. Her loss of concentration and memory indicates there may have been an injury to her brain, and may be an early warning that the hemorrhage she suffered has expanded or recurred.
I recommend she see her physician without delay to determine whether she has a space-occupying lesion (easily visualized by MRI) or whether her intracranial pressure may be raised (called hydrocephalus) as a result of her prior injury.
At this late juncture, her recovery should be complete, so further consultation with her neurologist and neurosurgeon is indicated. Do not try to play the role of doctor here. There is no role for herbal or non-prescribed supplemental medications.
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