Head injuries are often seen as an “acceptable” risk and part and parcel of many sporting activities. However, prompt action and the right know-how are essential to prevent these and other falls and blows to the head from becoming fatal!

Head injuries are dangerous

Although head injuries are often seen as an “acceptable” risk in certain sporting activities, they should always be treated promptly and monitored constantly. A lapse in treatment as happened in the case of renowned actress Natasha Richardson, who fell and injured her head while skiing and a few days later succumbed to her injuries and died, is a case in point. Head injuries are dangerous and should be handled with care.

Knowing the basic facts about head injuries may just help you save a life! Here’s how:

Know when it’s a head injury

A head injury is any sort of injury to your brain, skull or scalp as a result of car accidents, falls, physical assaults and sports-related injuries or violent shaking, usual in shaken baby syndrome cases. Although your skull will protect your brain from serious harm in most mild injuries, the opposite is true in open or penetrating head injuries in which something breaks your skull and enters your brain.

Know the different types

    • Concussion is a type of injury that occurs when the brain is jarred or shaken hard enough to bounce against the skull. This often happens during sporting activities when two players collide or fall heavily to the ground. Any fall or impact elsewhere on the body that has enough force to jar the brain may also cause concussion.
    • A haematoma is caused by blood in the brain that collects and forms a clot. This can cause pressure to build inside the skull, causing loss of consciousness.
    • Haemorrhage refers to uncontrolled bleeding in the space around or within the brain. It may also cause pressure to build up.
    • A diffuse axonal or sheer injury is an injury where tissue slides over other tissue and causes damages to brain cells. It is often bloodless and not as outwardly visible as other forms of injury. It is, however, one of the most dangerous and often fatal types of head injuries and can lead to permanent brain damage.
    • Any brain injury may cause oedema or swelling. Unfortunately, the skull can’t stretch to accommodate the swelling and this too, may lead to a build-up of pressure in the brain.
    • Although the skull is very strong and difficult to break, any impact that succeeds in cracking or breaking it is likely to also cause damage to the brain.

Know the symptoms

It’s very important to be aware of the most obvious symptoms of a head injury and to keep on monitoring symptoms for several days after the head injury.

Minor head injury symptoms may include:

    • Headache
    • Mild confusion
    • Nausea
    • Light-headedness
    • A spinning sensation
    • Temporary ringing in the ears.

Severe head injury symptoms may include some or all of the above mentioned as well as:

    • Loss of consciousness
    • Seizures
    • Vomiting
    • Serious disorientation
    • Abnormal eye movements
    • Inability to focus the eyes
    • Balance or coordination problems
    • Loss of muscle control
    • Clear or bloody fluid draining from the nose, mouth or ears
    • Persistent or worsening headache
    • Stiff neck
    • Memory loss
    • Mood changes.

Know how to treat head injuries

Head injuries must always be treated with extreme care and consistency. For example, moving a person with a serious head injury should not be attempted except by trained medical professionals because motion can make the injury worse.

Unfortunately, many symptoms of serious brain injury often don’t appear right away. A case in point is uncontrolled bleeding in the space around or within the brain. An added concern is when nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin are taken for what appears to be a minor head injury only to exacerbate and make the “invisible” bleeding worse.

The rule of thumb with head injuries is rather to be safe than sorry. This implies seeking professional help as soon as possible, even if you’re not sure that there is a head injury, and to continue monitoring symptoms for several days after the injury.

 

Sources

Brain injury FAQs. Retrieved from: http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/Traumatic-brain-injury-faqs/index.html
Guy, L. 2014. Head Injury. Retrieved from: http://www.healthline.com/health/head-injury
Head injury, age three and younger – prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/children/tc/head-injury-age-3-and-younger-prevention