By Abigail George
A head injury is a broad term that describes a vast array of injuries that occur to the scalp, skull, brain, and underlying tissue and blood vessels in the head. Head injuries are also referred to as brain injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI), depending on the extent of the head trauma.
The following are the signs of a severe head injury—Unconsciousness, either briefly or for a more extended period. Suppose you have difficulty staying awake or sleepy several hours after the injury. Clear fluid leaking from the nose or ears could be cerebrospinal fluid, which normally surrounds the brain, and if there is bleeding from one or both ears.
You can expect the following after a head injury. It can take time for the brain to recover from a head injury. Headaches, dizziness, and mild cognitive (thought) problems are common during this time. Brain function problems can include mood changes and difficulties concentrating, remembering, and performing complex tasks.
The best way to treat a head injury is to stabilize the head and neck by placing your hands on both sides of the person’s head. Keep the head in line with the spine and prevent movement. Wait for medical help. Stop bleeding by firmly pressing a clean cloth on the wound unless you suspect a skull fracture.
The alarming signs after a head injury are a headache that worsens and does not disappear, and slurred speech occurs. There maybe weakness, numbness, decreased coordination, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures (shaking or twitching), unusual behavior, increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation. You may need to take a short time off work or school, although usually no more than 2 to 3 days. Always ask your healthcare professional for written instructions about when you can safely return to work, school, or other activities, such as driving a car.
The signs and symptoms are the following to tell if a head injury is mild or severe:
- Mild head injury symptoms may include a raised, swollen area from a bump or a bruise.
- Moderate to severe head injury (requires immediate medical attention) and symptoms may include loss of consciousness, a severe headache that does not go away, repeated nausea, and vomiting.
Can a head injury heal on its own? Mild traumatic brain injuries usually require no treatment other than rest and over-the-counter pain relievers to treat a headache. However, a person with a mild traumatic brain injury must be monitored closely at home for any persistent, worsening, or new symptoms. Signs and symptoms take time to develop, sometimes days or weeks after the injury. As a result of less severe head injuries, this type of hematoma can cause slow bleeding, and symptoms can take weeks and even months to appear. You might not remember hurting your head.
With a head injury, it’s common to have a headache and nausea. You may be dizzy or disoriented right afterward. You also may have problems focusing or remembering. Other symptoms include ear ringing, neck pain, and emotional or vision problems.
Avoid physically demanding activities (e.g., heavy house cleaning, weightlifting/working out) or require a lot of concentration (e.g., balancing your chequebook). They can make your symptoms worse and slow your recovery.
Can you guess what the most vulnerable part of the brain is? “The most dangerous place to hit your head is on either side of your head, just above your ears. The skull is thinnest there, and an artery can burst and cause direct bleeding in the brain.”
The fastest way to recover from a head injury is to complete physical and cognitive rest for 24-72 hours. After a brain injury, a lot is going on. Resume everyday activities as symptoms begin to ease. Gradually return to exercise, consult a physical therapist if symptoms persist, and you may return to sports.
In general, symptoms of brain bleeds can include Sudden tingling, weakness, numbness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, particularly on one side of the body, and headache (sudden, severe “thunderclap” headache occurs with subarachnoid hemorrhage.) The red flags of a concussion are confusion or trouble focusing, sensitivity to light or noise, foggy or not feeling right, and memory loss right around when the impact happened.
You should be worried about a bump on the head and see a provider within 1 to 2 days of a significant head injury with ongoing symptoms, even if emergency care isn’t required. Seek emergency medical attention if your child experiences unconsciousness, confusion, or disorientation after a head injury.
Ignoring your symptoms and trying to “tough it out” often worsen symptoms. Rest is essential after a concussion because it helps the brain to heal. You’ll need to be patient because healing takes time and can worsen a head injury. It would be best to go to the hospital after hitting your head and sustaining severe head injuries involving bruising, fracture, swelling, internal bleeding, or a blood clot. Seek emergency care if you notice signs of severe head injury. Headaches worsen despite over-the-counter pain medications: weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination.
The pterion is a craniometric point where the greater wing of the sphenoid, parietal, and frontal bone meet. The pterion is known as the weakest part of the skull. The anterior division of the middle meningeal artery runs underneath the pterion. Consequently, a traumatic blow to the pterion may rupture the middle meningeal artery causing an epidural haematoma.
You can test if you have a concussion if you experience having a headache or “pressure” in the head, nausea or vomiting, balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision, when you are bothered by light or noise, feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy, confusion, or concentration or memory problems and when you are just not feeling right, or feeling down.
The signs and symptoms that suggest concealed internal bleeding depend on where the bleeding is inside the body, but may include pain at the injured site, a swollen, tight abdomen, nausea and vomiting, pale, clammy, sweaty skin, breathlessness, extreme thirst, and unconsciousness.
Sources:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org
https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org
https://my.clevelandclinic.org
https://www.emergencyphysicians.org
Website: www.abigailgeorge.org
