What You Should And Should Not Do After A Head Injury

Head injuries can occur quite commonly. Since it is an incredibly sensitive area of the body, knowing which injuries are not serious and how to handle the ones that are might be very useful information. To understand how head injuries typically occur, one must first understand the anatomy of the head to know what parts are vulnerable. You can divide the head primarily into three parts; the scalp, the skull, and the brain. The scalp is made of layers of skin and tissues and envelops the skull. The skull is a case made of about 22 bones and encases the brain. Injuries to the head can have various symptoms as mentioned below.

Symptoms of Head Injuries

Head injuries vary in their severity and as a result symptoms of head injuries can vary from mild to severe. It is important to recognize them in the event an injury occurs, in case severe symptoms occur. In that case, immediate medical care is required or it could be fatal for the injured person. In most mild cases of head injury, the person will experience physical symptoms like a headache, nausea, or dizziness. They could experience temporary loss of mental or cognitive functioning i.e. trouble with concentration or memory recall. Serious head injuries can result in some severe symptoms that one must always look out for. They can include seizures or convulsions, numbness in the extremities, persistent nausea or vomiting. If someone experiences a long stretch of unconsciousness, it too is a sign of alarm. It is important to note that these symptoms can either manifest right away or may take hours or even days to develop. It is hence advised that extreme care and caution must be practiced with anyone who has had a brain injury and symptoms must be closely monitored.

Dos of Handling Head Injuries

In any event, a brain injury must be handled with extreme caution. There are things that you must ensure right away for damage control lest the patient’s situation aggravates. Immediately after an injury, you must make sure that the person is breathing and blood circulation is not too compromised. Monitor the person for consciousness and alertness and make sure the air passage is not blocked. Check to see if the injured person is not choking on any blockage in the nose, mouth, and throat. Experts suggest that first responders must immediately administer CPR in case they feel the person’s breathing is compromised. To learn more about this click here and get in-depth information provided by seasoned lawyers that specialize in cases that deal with brain injury incidents. Sometimes the trauma from a head injury may cause unconsciousness. This, in turn, causes the muscles in their jaws to lose tension (muscle tone) and the tongue may end up blocking their air passage. Another possibility of airway blockage is via clenched teeth, known as trismus, which can cause secretions to enter your windpipe. There are some common maneuvers like the head tilt-chin life and the jaw-thrust maneuvers which can relieve air passages in such cases. Another thing to look out for is bleeding. Loss of blood to the brain is detrimental and if there are visible signs of bleeding, stop the bleeding using sterile material and firm pressure. There might be cases where the injured person could vomit; in that case make sure they do not choke by rolling the person’s head, neck, and body together as one unit.

Don’ts of Handling Head Injuries

Just as there are things to ensure in case of head injury, there are some things you must avoid at all costs whenever you are dealing with a head injury sustained personally or by someone else. The first rule of business is to not move the injured person unless it is absolutely necessary. It is often difficult to determine the extent of injury in the initial moments and any movement can potentially aggravate the injury. In case the patient needs to be moved, extreme caution should be practiced to secure the head and neck while moving. If the person is bleeding, do not wash any wounds and do not apply direct pressure to any wounds where you may suspect a risk of fracture. In case an object is lodged inside the skull, do not at any cost remove the object and handle the area with extreme caution. It is advised that even debris from the injured area must not be removed. If the injured person is wearing a helmet, the helmet must not be removed unless by medical professionals. 

Most head injuries tend to heal quickly. But if a head injury is serious, knowing the symptoms and how to care for them can potentially result in you saving a person’s life. In most cases, have the injured lay still, stop any bleeding, and call for help.