Head Injury, What Does It Consist Of?

The leading cause of head injury is traffic accidents and falls.

Head trauma, as its name suggests, is an injury that affects both the skull and the brain. It can also be a functional impairment, although there is no appreciable physical injury.

It can be produced by an impact on the skull with another element, be it an object or a penetrating weapon. On the other hand, it can also be due to acceleration and deceleration movements without a direct hit.

In developed countries, head injury is the third leading cause of death. In fact, it is the leading cause of death and disability in adults under 45 years of age. It is mainly caused by traffic accidents, falls, and fights.

There is a greater risk for young men because it is associated with the abuse of toxic substances, such as alcohol or exciting drugs. In this article we explain what are the main causes and symptoms of head trauma.

What are the main causes and symptoms?

In order to define a head injury, there must be an external force that causes some brain dysfunction. It is a disorder that has two peaks in incidence:

• In young people : it is usually caused by traffic accidents or assaults. Other causes are occupational or sports accidents.
• From 65 years : the main cause is falls.

Symptoms usually depend on the intensity of the impact. They can appear immediately after or even take days or weeks.

Mild head injury

Symptoms after a minor blow may be non-existent. However, the most prominent are some lightheadedness, disorientation, and amnesia. Even the person who suffers it can lose consciousness for seconds or minutes. You often feel a headache, nausea or vomiting, and tiredness.

Other symptoms can be:

• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual
• Dizziness or loss of balance
• Blurred vision or ringing in the ears

Trauma of moderate or severe intensity

In these cases, the aforementioned symptoms occur, but they can be complicated . Loss of consciousness is usually more severe, constant headache and vomiting more common. In addition, there are usually seizures, pupil involvement, and loss of coordination.

In these cases, the disorientation is much greater. It is important to know that in a severe head injury the person can go into a coma.

What are the injuries of a head injury?

Head trauma can cause a wide range of injuries. First, they can be open or closed lesions, depending on whether they affect the scalp or not.

There may be fractures of the skull bones, but it should be noted that their absence does not rule out a brain injury. When there are fractures, there are usually very visible signs such as raccoon eyes and hemorrhages in the ear or nose.

On the other hand, intracranial hemorrhages can occur. These can be intracerebral or take place in the epidural or subdural space. All of them can cause more serious neurological injuries. There may be paralysis, paresis, speech disturbances, and so on.

Occasionally, head injuries cause diffuse axonal lesions in the neurons that make up the brain. They are produced by an acceleration and deceleration mechanism. They tend to have more complex and irreparable consequences than bleeding.

Treatment of a head injury

Treatment depends on the severity of the injury. When it is mild, treatment is usually limited to rest, observation, and pain relievers. When it comes to something serious, the most important thing is to maintain that person’s blood pressure and adequate ventilation.

Serious cases must be treated in a hospital. There, complementary tests such as computed tomography will be carried out to locate possible injuries. In addition, you will be given medications to reduce intracranial pressure or prevent seizures.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove bruises, stop bleeding, or repair fractures.

In conclusion

It is important to take safety measures to protect yourself against a possible blow. The main measure should be to drive safely, avoiding doing so after having taken alcohol or drugs. In the same way, you must wear a helmet, both on a bicycle and on a motorcycle. Also fasten your seat belt properly.

In addition, after any type of blow to the head, the ideal is to go to the doctor. He will perform the relevant tests and check that there are no problems to avoid possible complications later.