1. What is a head injury?

Like any other part of our body, the head also can get an Injury. It can be accidental or can be intentional. However, depending on the intensity, it can be fatal. Head injury is a vast topic. It includes injuries that occur to the scalp, skull, brain, and underlying tissue and blood vessels in the head.

2. What are the symptoms of a head injury?

There are various symptoms of head injuries such as mild or moderate. Depending upon the intensity of the injury, it varies the symptoms.

a. Mild head injury:

● Raised, swollen area from a bump or a bruise
● Small, superficial (shallow) cut in the scalp
● Headache
● Sensitivity to noise and light
● Irritability
● Confusion
● Lightheadedness and/or dizziness
● Problems with balance
● Nausea
● Problems with memory and/or concentration
● Change in sleep patterns
● Blurred vision
● “Tired” eyes
● Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
● Alteration in taste
● Fatigue or lethargy

b. Moderate to severe head injury (this requires immediate medical attention). Please note that, if the injury is mild, it needs immediate action too and any of the above symptoms also be there including the below-mentioned symptoms. The symptoms are-

● Loss of consciousness
● Severe headache that does not go away
● Repeated nausea and vomiting
● Loss of short-term memory (in this case, the patient tends to forget all the details or face difficulties in remembering things after the injury)
● Slurred speech
● Difficulty with walking
● Weakness in one side or area of the body
● Sweating
● Pale skin colour
● Seizures or convulsions
● Behavior changes including irritability
● Blood or clear fluid draining from the ears or nose
● One pupil (dark area in the centre of the eye) is dilated, or looks larger, than the other eye and doesn’t constrict, or get smaller when exposed to light
● Deep cut or laceration on the scalp
● Open wound in the head
● Foreign objects penetrating the head

3. What are the effects of a head injury?

The effect of a head injury depends on the specific nerve that is getting injured. The patient may lose muscle strength, fine motor skills, speech, vision, hearing, or taste function. Apart from this, there are various kinds of effects such as

a. Coma: Coma is a state of unconsciousness. In this state, a patient either makes no movement or very little movement. The patient makes no voluntary movement at all. Let us burst a myth for you. A patient cannot hear anything in a coma state because the brain fails to pick up the sensation.

b. Vegetative state: A severe head injury can lead to a vegetative state. Vegetative state due to the head injury, the patient lost the ability of thinking abilities and awareness of their surroundings. However, the patient can retain some basic functions such as breathing and blood circulation.

c. Locked-in syndrome: Locked-in syndrome also happens due to a head injury. In the locked-in syndrome, the patient stays in a conscious state. They can think and understand everything. However, the patient cannot speak or move.

4. How are head injuries diagnosed?

Doctors have various ways to diagnose head injuries such as

a. X-ray: X-ray helps in getting the real image of internal tissues, bones, and organs which helps in diagnosing the intensity of injury.

b. Computed Tomography Scan (CT Scan): CT Scan helps in getting the real image of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays.

c. Electroencephalogram (EEG): EEG helps to record the brain’s continuous, electrical activity by means of electrodes attached to the scalp.

d. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRI is the most detailed process among the above-mentioned tests. MRI helps in getting images of organs and structures within the body. So, when a doctor conducts an MRI of the brain, he/she gets images of every part of the brain. It helps in diagnosing the intensity of the injury.

Apart from the above-mentioned processes, blood test also helps. However, that is very negligible. Most of the time, doctors prescribe blood tests to get some information and after that, they proceed with the other tests.

5. How neurosurgery can help you in managing head injury?

Well, depends on the intensity of the injury. Depending on the intensity of the injury, many times neurosurgeons may need to remove or repair hematomas (ruptured blood vessels), contusions (bruised brain tissue) or skull fractures. At the same time, the neurosurgeons also can prescribe medicines, rehabs & other activities for recovery.
In this case, rehabilitation plays a crucial role because many times patients with a significant brain injury will require some form of rehabilitation to relearn basic skills and perform their daily activities.

5. How can Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital help you?

Final words: Head injuries can be fatal and they can paralyse a patient forever. So, even if you or your loved ones have a minor head injury, you should consult with a neurologist. For any kind of assistance, you can connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital at any time. We have 24*7 emergency services. Get aware and stay healthy.

Disclaimer

Though all attempts are made to provide correct information on the subject, inadvertent & typographical errors arising out of manual intervention cannot be ruled out. It is requested to bring any such discrepancies to the notice of the blogger for correction

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