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Head injuries result from a penetrating or blunt trauma to the skull and range in severity from mild to life threatening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.7 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. Head injuries often occur due to motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, falls and interpersonal violence. Not all head injuries require emergency care, but you should be familiar with the signs and symptoms to look for if a friend or loved one suffers this type of injury.
SYMPTOMS
Blunt trauma to the head often leads to a head injury known as a concussion, which is marked by symptoms such as a bump on the head, headache, nausea, vomiting, temporary loss of memory, balance problems, irritability, anxiety and sleep disturbances. A brief loss of consciousness may occur. Anyone with seizures or loss of consciousness following a head injury should seek emergency medical care. Other red flags to look for after a head injury include persistent vomiting, worsening or persistent headache, unusual behavior, decreased coordination, persistent dizziness, numbness or weakness, uneven pupil size, inability to recognized people or places, increasing agitation or confusion, clear liquid from the nose or ear, slurred speech and unusual drowsiness.
WHEN TO SEEK EMERGENCY CARE
Anyone who shows one or more red-flag symptoms should be taken to an emergency room immediately. Victims of high-speed motor vehicle accidents and people who fall from a tall height should also be evaluated right away, regardless of symptoms. Patients with these symptoms will have a neurological exam performed by a health care provider. Often, a CT scan of the brain is performed to look for skull fractures, swelling of the brain, or bleeding in or around the brain. Hospitalization may be necessary. Surgery is needed to relieve pressure or bleeding associated with severe brain injuries and to close open head wounds.
HOME CARE
If you do not have any red-flag symptoms and your head injury was relatively minor, it is probably safe for you to be treated and monitored at home. Rest is one of the best things you can do to treat a head injury. However, a family member should check on the person with a head injury regularly to be sure he can be awakened and symptoms are not worsening. If you have a minor cut on your head, wash it with mild soap and water and apply a bandage or sterile closure strips. Keep the area clean and dry. If you have a lump on your head, apply ice to relieve mild swelling. You may take some acetaminophen or ibuprofen to alleviate your headache. It's always a good idea to touch base with your health care provider within 24 hours following a mild head injury.
