Please Help I'm A Mess -- Hyperreflexia

[iakiakiak]

Last night I was working out and managed to hit myself in the side of the head with a dumbbell. I didn't lose consciousness, vomit, or have a severe headache so I managed to talk myself down from going to the emergency room.

Today I still felt very nervous, especially since I know hitting the side of the head can be very dangerous because of the blood vessels there, so I made a doctor's appointment to get it checked out. He listened to my concerns, did a neurological exam [no CT scan or imaging, just reflexes, strength, gait, etc.], and assured me it was very unlikely I had a brain bleed. This made me feel much better...for all of a couple of hours until I looked at the visit notes on my patient portal. Everything looked okay except for this:

"Hyper-reflexic patellar reflexes"

The doctor didn't mention anything about hyperreflexia during my appointment but I ended up looking this up and it looks like a VERY BAD SIGN for anything from brain injury, lesions, to even ALS?! Now I'm completely freaked out. What does this mean? Why didn't he say anything about it? Should I be panicking? (That last one is a trick question, I'm already panicking!)

Please help!

[iakiakiak]

Anyone? I’m very nervous today, too, because I woke up with a headache on the same side that I hit my head on. 😕

[Fishmanpa]

If the doctor was concerned, he would have followed through with additional testing and such. If you're that concerned, why not phone him and ask?

FMP

[WorryRaptor]

Anyone? I’m very nervous today, too, because I woke up with a headache on the same side that I hit my head on. 

Is your headache actually a headache or just pain in the side of your head where you hit it? (That would be natural since you took a dumbbell to it, just like any head bump would be tender for a few days)

The hyperreflexia thing can just be from an overexcited nervous system due to anxiety, and I would imagine you were pretty anxious while getting checked out. If they were concerned by it at the time of examining you, they would have done further testing.

If you're concerned about the headache you're feeling, it's no harm to call your doctor and see what they advise you to do. The fact the rest of your neurological exam showed no problems makes any kind of brain injury quite unlikely.

[kyllikki]

If it's bilaterally symmetrical -- which I would assume it is because your doctor used the plural -- it's probably nothing. You don't mention how old you are, but younger people (like, under 40) also usually have brisker reflexes. Reflexes can also vary based on day; sometimes they're brisker, sometimes they're less brisk - and yes, anxiety does seem to play a role. Long story short, if there was something seriously wrong, your doctor probably would see it across multiple reflex sites, or see an imbalance in reflexes from one site to another.

One more note: don't go testing your reflexes yourself if you're tempted. It's literally impossible (because you anticipate the hit or touch.) Trust your doctor and unless something changes drastically, carry on!