Head Injury Warning Signs and Symptoms
The following signs and symptoms provide a warning that your head injury requires immediate medical attention. If you experience one or more of the following symptoms after sustaining a blow to the head, however minor it may seem, you should seek immediate medical attention for a complete evaluation.- Difficulty remembering recent events or personal information
- Severe headache, particularly if it comes on quickly and in a specific location
- Severe stiffness in neck
- Mental confusion or strange behavior
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness, poor balance, or unsteady gait
- Weakness in arms or legs
- Extreme drowsiness or sleepiness
- Unequal pupil sizes
- Loss of appetite
- Persistent ringing in the ears
- Slurred speech
- Visual problems, such as seeing stars or blurred vision
- Bleeding or clear fluid coming from the ears or nose
- Convulsions
- Loss of consciousness
Common Types of Head Injury
ConcussionConcussions are traumatic head injuries that occur from both mild and severe blows to the head. Some head injuries may appear to be mild but research is finding that concussions can have serious, long-term effects, especially repeat head injuries or cumulative concussions.
All concussions are serious, and ignoring the signs and symptoms of a concussion increases the risk of suffering another, more serious, head injury, neurological impairment and even depression.
Epidural Hematoma
An epidural hematoma is bleeding between the skull and the brain. This injury may occur when an impact results in a laceration of a blood vessel in the head which then forms a blood clot between the skull and the brain's protective covering (the dura). This clot slowly grows and puts pressure on the brain that, if not treated promptly, can result in death.
The seriousness of an epidural hematoma became clear when actress Natasha Richardson died from what appeared to be a mild head injury during a skiing accident.
Richardson's tragic death brought attention to a previously unknown condition referred to as "talk and die" syndrome in which a head injury victim appears fine at first, but hours or days later develops a headache and other symptoms of an epidural hematoma.
Head Injury First Aid
If you suspect a head injury but don't see any initial signs or symptoms listed above, follow these head injury treatment steps.- Monitor Initial Head Injury Symptoms
Anyone who suffers a blow to the head should be monitored closely in the hours and days following the injury. If the person experiences a headache, dizziness, vomiting, confusion or loss of coordination, you should get medical attention immediately. - Watch For a Sudden or Dramatic Change in Symptoms, Behavior or Comprehension
Any sudden change in level of symptoms -- such as a mild headache the suddenly becomes intense, sudden dizziness, sudden increase in drowsiness, etc. -- requires immediate medical attention. - Pay Close Attention to Head Injuries in Children, the Elderly, or Anyone on Blood Thinners
Because blood thinners (such as warfarin) can increase bleeding during injuries, what might otherwise be a mild head injury can develop a major bleed if a person is taking blood thinners. - If Unsure, Go to the ER
If you aren't sure how serious the head injury is, get it checked out at a trauma center or emergency room; a head CT scan may be used to diagnose bleeding in the brain.
Sources
Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport: the 3rd International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Zurich, November 2008. http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/43/Suppl_1/i76
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Heegaard WG, Biros MH. Head. In: Marx J. Rosens Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2006: chap. 38.
University of Pittsburgh, Brain Trauma Research. http://www.neurosurgery.pitt.edu/research/trauma.html
