What is World Head Injury Day all about?

Every year on 20 March the world observes World Head Injury Awareness Day. But what is the significance of this day, and why do we need a day dedicated to this?

Statistics are that around 5% of all people in the USA annually suffer a head injury. In South Africa, about 90 000 traumatic brain injuries are reported every year. Brain injuries can range from minor and temporary to severe injuries that lead to permanent disability. And sometimes timely medical help can prevent an injury from being permanent or getting more severe. It therefore stands that raising awareness, sharing information and drawing attention to head injuries are very important.

Definition of head injury

Head injuries include injuries to the brain as well as injuries to the skull and scalp. It can be as minor as cuts and abrasions to the scalp, or as serious as traumatic brain injury or brain damage.

Head injuries can be classified as closed or penetrating.

- Closed head injuries are injuries where the head is injured through blunt force from an object

- Penetrating head injury occurs when the skull is broken by an object travelling at high velocity and the object enters the brain.

Causes of head injury

In South Africa, the main causes of head injury are car and bicycle accidents, falls and violence (in that order). Men are twice as likely to suffer head injuries than women. People between the ages of 15 and 40 as well as small children and the elderly are at the greatest risk. Abuse of drugs and alcohol, extreme sports and contact sports, and driving without helmets and seatbelts are all risk factors.

Importance of medical care

All brain injuries have the risk of being life threatening. Also, the signs and symptoms can take time to develop and sometimes a patient will not show any symptoms at all. Therefore, even people with slight head injuries should be seen by a doctor and observed closely for at least 24 hours.

The saying “knowledge is power” rings very true when it comes to head injuries, as having the correct information and education, and knowing to get help, can have a significant impact on the outcome of the injury.

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