Concussion education / Miami-Dade

Headaches After a Car Accident in Miami: When to Get Checked

Headaches after a crash on the Palmetto, Dolphin Expressway or US-1? When a post-crash headache needs attention, and how concussion testing works in Miami-Dade.

A headache after a car accident is easy to dismiss with a painkiller and a long day. In Miami-Dade, where traffic rarely lets up, many people do exactly that. If yours keeps coming back, it may be your brain asking for attention.

From the Palmetto to the Overseas Highway

Daily traffic on the Palmetto Expressway, the Dolphin Expressway near the airport, I-95 and the Turnpike extension toward Homestead and Florida City means many rear-end and merge collisions. Further south, the Overseas Highway through the Keys has long two lane stretches. A headache after any of these crashes is common, and it is easy to treat it as a minor ache when it may be a sign of concussion.

When a headache after a crash needs attention

Headache is one of the most common concussion symptoms. A headache that gets worse and does not go away is a danger sign that needs emergency care right away. A milder headache that keeps coming back, or comes with fog, dizziness or light sensitivity, should be raised with your provider.

Keep track of when headaches happen, how strong they are and what triggers them. That record helps your provider.

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 Jackson Memorial Hospital and its Ryder Trauma Center and Baptist Hospital of Miami; in an emergency, go to whichever ER is closest.

Getting checked in Miami-Dade

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 Miami-Dade, 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 Miami, Hialeah, Doral, Homestead and the Keys, 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 Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade | 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.