Head injuries are common when participating in sports or other recreational activities. They are commonly known as traumatic brain injury or brain injury, depending on the severity of the head trauma. Sometimes, head injuries can be dangerous. For example, they can result in mental impairment, permanent disability, or death. Did you know head injury is one of the primary causes of death and disability in adults?

So, you should not take them lightly. If you have signs of a serious head injury, seek immediate medical attention. Emergency medical professionals are well trained and experienced to shift the affected people carefully without causing more harm.

What Are the Severe Head Injuries?

Severe head injuries are injuries that increase the risk of serious damage to the brain. Therefore, they require prompt medical attention. Symptoms of head injuries may occur immediately or take several hours or days to show up.

Signs of Head Injuries

If you experience the following signs, you have a head injury.

• Memory loss.
• Glazed appearance.
• Looks confused but won’t be unconscious.
• Seizures.
• Unresponsive for a long time.
• Concussion (it’s a sudden but temporary loss of mental functioning after a blow on another head injury).
• Repeated vomiting.
• Difficulty to coordinate or walk.
• A clear fluid or blood oozing out of the nose or ears.
• Double vision or hearing loss.
• Bruising or swelling behind the ear or around the eyes suddenly.
• Difficulty in staying awake or speaking to others.

Signs that a head injury may require immediate medical attention include:

• Bruising on the face or distorted facial features.
• Blurry vision or loss of consciousness.
• Constant vomiting.
• Stiff neck.
• Swelling at the injured area.
• Sudden worsening of symptoms after the improvement.
• Severe headache.
• Reduced breathing.
• Slurred speech.
• Convulsions.
• Change in pupil size.
• Lightheadedness and irritation.
• Face or skull fracture.
• Failure to move one or multiple limbs.
• Impaired vision, taste, smell, or hearing.
• Oozing of blood or clear fluid from ears, nose, or mouth.
• Restlessness.
• Reduced coordination or clumsiness.

How ER Can Help in Diagnosing Head Injuries?

A healthcare provider diagnoses a head injury using a physical examination and diagnostic tests. For this, the doctor will receive a full medical and family history to determine the exact cause of the injury.

Diagnostic tests usually include:

• X-ray

It uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to generate pictures of bones and internal tissues onto the film.

• ECG

An electroencephalogram (EEG) helps record the brain’s electrical activity via electrodes.

• CT Scan

A computed tomography scan uses a blend of computer and X-ray technology to generate axial or horizontal pictures of the body. It helps to display in-depth pictures of all body parts. It is mainly essential if there is swelling or bleeding in the brain or if the injury is serious.

• MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging uses a blend of radio frequencies, computers, and large magnets to generate in-depth pictures of structures and organs within the body.

• Blood Tests

Blood tests may help assess head injury severity, but they are used alongside other evaluations. If the test comes negative, it creates the need for a CT scan.

Diagnosis also involves asking questions about the injury and event to the patient. Immediate diagnosis allows medical professionals to detect possible life-threatening injuries. The professional will perform a physical examination to evaluate the symptoms like swelling, bruising, and trauma.

The emergency department may also perform a neurological exam. During this, the doctor will examine your nerve functioning by assessing your eye movement, muscle strength, and other things. The professional chooses an MRI scan only once the patient goes in stable condition. The doctor may ask questions like:

• Previous health issues.
• How the injury occurred.
• If you are experiencing symptoms like seizures, vomiting.
• Questions about your mental and memory functioning.

These questions allow the professional to see and monitor your condition. Another way by which the doctor will evaluate your head injuries is via a Glasgow coma scale (GCS). It’s a 15-point test that finds the mental status of an individual. A high GCS score signifies a less serious head injury.

Usually, when you experience a head injury, you don’t memorize the information about the accident. When this happens, it’s worth bringing someone with you that has witnessed the accident.