Concussion education / Florida Panhandle

Concussion After a Beach Traffic Crash in Destin, Panama City Beach and Pensacola

Hurt in summer traffic on US-98 or the US-331 bridge? Concussion signs visitors and locals should watch, and how testing works in the Panhandle.

A beach trip or a summer drive along the Gulf should not end with a head injury, but crashes happen in heavy traffic. Whether you live in the Panhandle or were visiting, here is what to watch for afterward.

Summer on Panhandle roads

Every summer, US-98 through Destin and Panama City Beach backs up, the US-331 bridge over Choctawhatchee Bay fills with beach traffic, and I-10 near Pensacola carries visitors and freight. Low speed fender benders in stop and go traffic and higher speed crashes on US-231 can both cause a concussion. Visitors may head home before symptoms show, and locals may shrug them off.

Visitors and locals alike

If you are visiting and head home before symptoms appear, see a provider where you live and tell them about the crash. If you live here, do not wait for symptoms to pass on their own if they are not getting better.

Wherever you are when symptoms show up, a provider can help. Mention the crash and the date it happened.

Common concussion symptoms

• Physical: headache, nausea, dizziness, balance problems, blurry vision, sensitivity to light or noise.
• Thinking: feeling foggy or slowed down, trouble concentrating or remembering.
• Emotional: irritability, sadness, anxiety.
• Sleep: sleeping more or less than usual.

When to go to the emergency room

Call 911 or go to the nearest ER right away for danger signs such as a headache that gets worse and does not go away, repeated vomiting, weakness or numbness, slurred speech, seizures, unusual confusion, one pupil larger than the other, or loss of consciousness. In the area, hospitals with emergency departments include Baptist Hospital in Pensacola and Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola; in an emergency, go to whichever ER is closest.

Getting checked in Florida Panhandle

If symptoms are not severe but are not going away, start with your treating provider, such as your primary care doctor, chiropractor, orthopedist, pain management physician or physical therapist. Keep a short symptom diary to share with them. If they decide objective testing makes sense, they can refer you to Braintree. We are a mobile service: our team brings concussion and TBI testing to your provider's office across Florida Panhandle, so you are tested somewhere familiar. Your provider receives a physician-reviewed diagnostic report and decides on your care.

Not sure where to start? Call our help line at 813-709-3771. We can walk you through how testing works and help you think about next steps for getting checked and finding care. You can also read our guide for patients and families.

For local providers

If you treat accident or injury patients in Pensacola, Destin, Panama City and Marianna, Braintree brings mobile concussion and TBI testing to your office and returns a physician-reviewed diagnostic report. You stay in charge of care. We diagnose. You treat. See how it works for providers or send a referral.

For legal teams

Personal injury firms serving Florida Panhandle can learn how testing at the client's treating provider's office produces objective, physician-reviewed diagnostic reports. Testing is ordered by the treating provider. See information for attorneys.

Frequently asked questions

Related: Concussion testing in Florida Panhandle | Concussion testing in Florida | For patients and families | Call 813-709-3771

Sources

• CDC: About mild TBI and concussion
• CDC HEADS UP: Concussion signs and symptoms
• NIH NINDS: Traumatic Brain Injury

This article is educational and is not medical or legal advice. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.