Minor Head Injury
GENERAL INFORMATION:
What is a minor head injury? A minor head injury may cause the brain to have trouble working normally for a short time. Minor head injuries are usually not a serious problem. They are most often caused by a blow to the head. A minor head injury may happen because of a fall, a motor vehicle crash, or a sports injury. Sometimes being forcefully shaken may cause a minor head injury.
What are the signs and symptoms of a minor head injury? Every minor head injury is different. Right after the injury, you may seem dazed. Other symptoms may show up right away. Some symptoms may not happen for days or weeks after the injury. Symptoms of a minor head injury may last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. After the injury, you may have one or more of these symptoms:
- Mild to moderate headache.
- Dizziness or loss of balance.
- Nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (throwing up).
- Change in mood (such as feeling restless or irritable).
- Trouble thinking, remembering things, or concentrating (giving full attention to one thing for a period of time).
- Ringing in the ears.
- Drowsiness or decreased amount of energy.
- Change in normal sleeping pattern (you may sleep more than usual or have trouble sleeping).
What signs and symptoms should concern me in the days following a minor head injury? It is common to have a headache or feel dizzy after a minor head injury. Some people who are thought to have a minor injury may have a more serious injury. The symptoms of a serious head injury may not show up right away. It is very important to watch for more serious symptoms after a head injury. If possible, have someone stay with you to help you watch for symptoms.
- You may be at higher risk of having a more serious head injury if you:
- Had a previous head injury or concussion.
- Are on medicine that thins your blood, or have a bleeding disorder.
- Have other neurologic (brain) problems.
- Have difficulty walking or if you fall often.
- Are active in high impact contact sports, like soccer or football.
- Had a previous head injury or concussion.
- Call your caregiver if you have any of the following symptoms:
- You are harder to wake up than usual.
- Your symptoms get worse during the first several days after the injury.
- You have new headaches that are very bad, or that get worse in the days after the injury.
- Your symptoms last longer than six weeks after the injury.
- You are harder to wake up than usual.
- You should be seen in an emergency room, doctor's office, or clinic immediately if:
- You have repeated or forceful vomiting.
- You have increasing confusion or a change in personality.
- You have blood or clear fluid coming out of the ears or nose.
- You do not know where you are, or you do not recognize people that are familiar.
- You have new problems with vision (blurry or double vision).
- Your speech becomes slurred or confused.
- You have arm or leg weakness, loss of feeling, or new problems with coordination (balance and movement).
- You have repeated or forceful vomiting.
- You or someone with you should dial 9-1-1 or 0 (Operator) for an ambulance if:
- Your pupils (black part in the center of the eye) are unequal in size, and this is new for you.
- You have a seizure (convulsion).
- Someone tries to wake you and cannot do so.
- You stop responding to others, or you pass out (faint).
- Your pupils (black part in the center of the eye) are unequal in size, and this is new for you.
How is a minor head injury treated? Usually no treatment is needed for a minor head injury. The most important thing you can do is to watch for signs of a more serious problem.
- You should get plenty of rest in the days following your injury.
- Sometimes a blow to the head may cause bruising, swelling, or a cut on your skin. An ice pack may be used to decrease your pain and swelling. It is best to start using ice right after an injury and up to 24 to 48 hours afterwards. Do not use ice directly on the skin, or for longer than 20 minutes at a time. If ice is not covered or is put on one area of your body for too long, it may cause frostbite.
- Take acetaminophen (a-seet-a-MIN-oh-fen) or ibuprofen (i-bu-PRO-fen) for headache or neck pain if your caregiver says it is OK.
- You need to be protected from another head injury for a period of time. It is dangerous to receive another head injury before the brain has recovered (gotten better) from the first one. You may not be able to play sports or to do activities that may result in a blow to the head. Your caregiver will let you know when it is OK for you to return to normal activities.
- Let a friend or household member know about the injury and symptoms to watch for.
Risks:
- You may have been hurt in other ways when you got your head injury. For example, you may have a neck or face injury also. A minor head injury may mask more serious problems, such as bleeding or a blood clot in the brain. The risk of serious problems are decreased if you carefully follow your caregiver's advice.
- Each additional head injury you have may increase your risk of having long-lasting problems. These problems may include poor coordination, or trouble thinking or concentrating. Having repeated head injuries can be life threatening.
Where can I go for more information? You can contact one of the following national organizations for more information about head injuries:
- Brain Injury Association
8201 Greensboro Drive
McLean, VA 22102
Phone: 1-703-761-0750
Phone: 1-800-444-6443
Web Address: http://www.biausa.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-404-6393311
Phone: 1-800-3113435
Web Address: http://www.cdc.gov
CARE AGREEMENT:
You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.
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