Head injury is a general term that implies damage to the skull, scalp, and/or brain. Every year, millions of people sustain some degree of head injury. Cases range from a mild bump on the head to the severe invasive injuries caused by firearms, bicycle, and motor vehicle accidents. Injuries to the head are relatively easy to prevent, especially for cyclists and sports enthusiasts.
There are two classifications of head injury: Open and closed. This article deals primarily with symptoms indicative of closed head injury.
The Difference Between an Open Head Injury and a Closed Head Injury
Open head injuries are typically caused by an outside force lacerating the scalp and breaking the skull. The brain may or may not incur damage in an open head injury, as in a case where only the scalp and/or skull bone are damaged. Treat open head injuries as medical emergencies until the degree of the injury is assessed.
A closed head injury refers to trauma sustained inside the skull, where the skull remains unbroken. A hard blow to the head can result in brain injury without breaking the skull. The brain slams against the interior of the skull on impact, causing serious life-threatening injury. Symptoms associated with bleeding or swelling inside the brain may take hours or days to develop, making such an injury difficult to detect without a medical exam. It is therefore imperative that victims of suspected head injury be assessed by emergency medical support.
Examples of Closed Head Injury
English stage and screen actress Natasha Richardson fell during a ski lesson in Quebec, in March 2009. She hit her head, but was otherwise coherent and seemed fine; in fact, emergency medical help was declined, according to author Beth Puliti, in an article submitted to Advance magazine, titled, "A Head Start" (July 2009, p. 18). Two days later, Richardson died from an epidural hematoma, caused by the blunt impact to her head.
Another example of closed head injury is commonly known as Shaken Baby Syndrome. A baby or toddler can die from trauma to the brain caused by shaking, dropping, or being thrown. Abusive head trauma, aka Shaken Baby Syndrome, is the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States, according to the Web site, Kids Health from Nemours, in the article, "Abusive Head Trauma" (no author given).
What are the Symptoms of a Head Injury?
There may be no visible signs of head trauma at the time of injury, but the condition can quickly deteriorate. Get medical help immediately to assess the injury. A mild head injury may require no treatment, but the physician most certainly will order the victim be closely observed over the next 24 hours. Call the doctor or return to the ER if the person:
- Becomes unusually drowsy
- Vomits
- Behaves abnormally or becomes overly irritable
- Loses consciousness for any amount of time
- Complains of a headache and/or stiff neck
A more serious head injury may be determined by one or more of the following symptoms:
- Fluid draining from the nose, mouth, or ears (clear or bloody)
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision
- Severe headache
- Impaired ability to move one or more limbs
- Distortions of the face
- Bruising at the injury site
- Convulsions or seizures
Victims of suspected head injury should get a medical evaluation to determine the severity of the injury. Open head injuries display obvious damage to the scalp, skull, and possibly the brain. Closed head injuries may show no outward damage; and because the skull is not broken, bleeding and swelling are not visually detected.
It is advisable to remain under close observation for possible signs of a worsening head injury condition. Ignoring the symptoms of a more serious head injury or waiting to see if the symptoms subside can result in severe and irreversible brain damage or death. Don't take chances when head injury is suspected. Get help immediately and avoid a tragic situation.
Mary King - Mary King is a Suite101 Topic Editor for the Caregiver Support and Home Management sections. She has authored 5 teen-based novels.
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