Are Women More Prone to Post-Concussion Syndrome Than Men?

 Posted on April 13, 2021 in Personal Injury

While any accident injury can have an impact on a victim’s quality of life, brain injuries are especially troubling. Even a minor brain injury can result in long-term effects. This is referred to as Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) in which the victim suffers symptoms for months following the injury. A recent study has found that women, in particular, may be more susceptible to PCS.  

What Is a Concussion?

A concussion occurs when there is any kind of impact or sudden movement to the head that causes the brain to move or shake inside the skull, causing damage to brain tissue. The most common causes of concussions include car accidents, slip, and fall injuries, and sporting accidents.

Some concussions present symptoms right away, while others may take hours or even days before the victim realizes something is wrong. Victims often have difficulties with their thought process and memory. They may have issues with balance and sight. Language skills are sometimes impacted, and some victims also suffer from agitation, depression, and anger issues.

Most concussions heal within a few weeks, but there are cases where the symptoms will continue for months and a doctor may diagnose the victim with PCS. It is estimated that up to 30 percent of all concussion victims will develop PCS. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center, women are more likely to have lingering concussion symptoms than men. Yet, the study also concluded that the healing time for other types of injuries was basically the same for both genders.

The Study

Two thousand concussion patients and 299 patients with orthopedic injuries, from 18 different U.S. hospitals participated in the study. Over the course of the year, participants completed surveys that covered physical, emotional, and mental symptoms.

The female concussion patients had worse symptoms than the male patients. Although over the course of the year the “gender gap” did decrease as most of the patients did improve, it was still present at the end of the study. Women who were between the ages of 35 and 49 reported worse symptoms than women who were older and younger. There was no difference in healing time between genders for the patients with orthopedic injuries.

These results have led the research team to question whether or not hormones play any factor in brain tissue inflammation and whether estrogen may affect recovery and indicate more research needs to be done in this area.

Let a Palo Alto County Personal Injury Attorney Help

Victims who suffer concussions in accidents caused by the negligent or reckless actions of another party may be entitled to financial compensation for the losses their injuries have caused. These damages can include medical bills, loss of income, pain, and suffering, emotional anguish, and more. Attorney Cory Fuller has successfully advocated for many accident victims in his more than 15 years of practice and will work diligently to get you the compensation you deserve. Call 408-234-756 to schedule a free consultation with a skilled Fremont brain injury lawyer at Fuller Law Firm.

Sources:

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-04-08/women-more-prone-to-concussions-long-term-harms-study

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html

https://concussionfoundation.org/PCS-resources/what-is-PCS?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgtWDBhDZARIsADEKwgOXwXrMSuhRNJupb8ObHZw-OSdPr0Bni7A4dx3zTLi4EvWaATEOTBkaAr4_EALw_wcB