A severe head injury can be caused by numerous factors. If left untreated, the condition can easily lead to brain damage. It’s important to seek medical assistance immediately when involved in an accident. Once you recognize the symptoms, take the essential steps required for proper management of the condition.
What Are the Symptoms?
There are numerous symptoms that you need to be on the lookout for. They include:
- Unconsciousness that can occur for a short while or for longer at times
- Feeling unusually sleepy particularly after sustaining the injury
- Cerebrospinal fluid (which is located inside the brain) discharge from the ears or nose
- Ears bleeding
- Visible head injury
- Skull damage
- Slurred speech
- Amnesia, especially of the events leading to the severe head injury
- Difficulty in comprehending words when spoken to
- Difficulty in writing and/or reading
- Difficulty in walking properly
- Poor balance
- Weakness
- Blurred vision
- Convulsions
- Severe migraine
- Unusual behaviour
- Vomiting
What is the Diagnosis of Severe Head Injury?
A scale known as ‘Glasgow Coma Scale’ is normally used to determine the level of damage caused by the head injury. A person with a score of 3 on the scale suffers from a very severe injury. On the other hand, a person who scores 15 suffers from a mild injury. In between constitutes moderate damage. Doctors combine this test with a CT scan for a comprehensive analysis.
What is the Treatment of this Injury?
Since this type of injury is serious, it’s mandatory to seek treatment from a health facility. The procedure may involve:
- Observation. Doctors normally insist on keeping such patients hospitalized for a while so that any changes in their conditions can be monitored and addressed effectively.
- Running more tests. In order to establish whether the injury may have caused further damage, more tests must be conducted on the patient.
- Providing treatment for other injuries sustained as a result of the severe head injury.
- Brain surgery which is usually the last resort.
What Are the Ways of Preventing Head Injuries?
Head injuries can occur at anytime making it difficult to prevent them. However, here are some essential steps that will reduce the risk by a substantial percentage:
- Always put on a helmet whilst cycling. A helmet will reduce impact to the head in the unfortunate event of an accident.
- Eliminate safety hazards which may lead to a fall.
Also, it’s advisable to seek medical assistance for the following cases:
- When someone is hit by a speeding car or receives a blow to the head with a similar amount of force.
- When someone who is intoxicated by alcohol, or any other drug, sustains a severe head injury.
- When someone excessively bleeds from the nose and/or ears after an accident.
Call 911 immediately after such an accident occurs. If the person is not breathing, administer CPR and feel for the pulse. Stay calm and keep the person company until the paramedics arrive.
Where to Learn More?
To learn more about head injuries and other bone and skeletal injuries enrol in standard or emergency first aid courses here. We are partnered with the leading training providers in Canada.