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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye

Dealing with Head Injury

Head injuries are potentially serious because they can damage the brain and surrounding blood vessels. Although the bony skull protects the brain, it also provides an enclosed space in which the brain can be easily shaken and damaged, and where there is little room for any swelling or bleeding following injury.

Types of head injury

There are five main types of head injury, and casualties may have several simultaneously:

Cuts

Large cuts to the scalp look alarming, but are only likely to be serious if caused by a major blow. A large blow may cause damage.

Concussion

Symptoms such as loss of consciousness, short-term memory loss or headache after a head injury are termed concussion. The loss consciousness may last up to six hours, and the loss of memory 24 hours, with little or no internal damage being suffered.

Contusion

Bruising, or contusion, may occur to the brain after an injury and this causes swelling of the brain tissue. this may lead to much longer periods of unconsciousness following an accident, and possibly much longer periods of amnesia after regaining consciousness. In addition there may be signs of brain injury in other parts of the body, such as paralysis, numbness or changes in breathing.

The bruising may be directly at the site of the injury, or it may be on the opposite side of the skull as the brain bounces away - this is called a contra-coup brain injury.

Haemorrhage

Bleeding within the skull, or haemorrhage, is a common consequence of head injury'. The tough sheath (dura mater) attached to the inside of the skull is well supplied with blood vessels. These may be damaged and cause bleeding; sometimes the effects are delayed for several weeks after the injury.

Compression

The skull is an enclosed space, and if there is any swelling or bleeding within it, a point is reached when there is no more room for expansion. Compression of the bran can lead to quite severe damage and a wide range of symptoms. In extreme cases, it can cause brain tissue to squeeze out of the base of the skull - a condition known as coning. This is fatal so it is absolutely vital that any rise in pressure within the skull is recognized before this happens.

Even after seemingly minor head Injuries, always be very vigilant for signs of increased cerebral pressure and get help promptly if you spot any.