Head Injury: Types, Causes, and Symptoms

Head injuries are any injury to your brain, skull, or scalp. The injury may differ from a mild bump, bruise, or a traumatic brain injury. Some familiar head injuries include concussions, skull fractures, and scalp wounds. Treatments for head injuries vary according to the severity of your condition and the reasons causing the problem.

All head injuries are not similar in some are open while others are closed. Closed head injuries don’t usually break your skull. Unfortunately, a penetrating head injury is a type when something violates your scalp and skull to enter your brain.

Assessing head injuries is challenging merely by looking at them. Sometimes, minor head injuries bleed significantly, while significant injuries don’t bleed at all. Therefore it is essential to treat all head injuries seriously and have them assessed by emergency care.

Causes of Head Injuries

Generally, head injuries are divided into two categories depending on what causes them. Head injuries can be due to blows to the head or damage due to shaking. Infants and small children are often victims of head injuries from shaking. However, they can occur at any time if you experience violent shaking. Head injuries caused by a blow to the head are usually associated with sports-related accidents, motor-vehicle extends, altercations, falls, et cetera. Your skull protects your brain from severe harm from head injuries in most cases. However, severe head injuries are also associated with injuries to your spine.

Types of Head Injuries

No two head injuries are similar, making it essential for you to have the condition diagnosed either by your regular healthcare provider or the ER near me to avoid unnecessary complications. Mentioned below are the different types of head injuries that undoubtedly need medical attention.

Hematoma

Hematoma is the clotting of blood outside blood vessels. If a hematoma occurs in the brain, it is a severe condition. The clotting builds pressure inside your brain and causes you to lose consciousness or cause permanent brain damage.

Hemorrhage

Hemorrhages cause uncontrolled bleeding from spaces around your brain called subarachnoid hemorrhage or bleeding in the brain tissue called intracerebral hemorrhage. Headaches and vomiting are familiar with subarachnoid hemorrhages. However, the severity of the bleeding determines how severe intracerebral hemorrhages are. However, over time, blood in the brain causes pressure buildup.

Concussions

Concussions result from impacts to your head to cause brain injury. Concussions are usually a result of your brain hitting against your skull walls or forces of specific acceleration or deceleration. Concussions cause temporary loss of function. However, if you suffer from concussions repeatedly, the injuries can result in permanent brain damage.

Edema

Any injuries to the brain can lead to edema or swelling. Various brain injuries cause swelling to the surrounding tissue. However, the condition is severe when it occurs in your brain. Your skull doesn’t have the ability to stretch itself to accommodate the expansion leading to pressure buildup in your brain because your brain begins pushing against the skull.

Skull Fracture

Your brain is devoid of bone marrow, unlike other parts of the body. The lack of bone marrow makes your skull durable and challenging to break. Unfortunately, a fractured skull cannot absorb impacts from blows, making it likely for you to suffer from damage. Therefore if you suffer a severe impact to your skull that might indicate a fracture, you need to receive treatment as soon as possible from the emergency room in Houston, TX.

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Diffuse axonal injuries don’t cause bleeding but damage the brain cells. The brain cell damage doesn’t allow them to function appropriately. These injuries can result in swelling to cause additional damage. Diffuse axonal injuries are not outwardly visible like other brain injuries but are the most dangerous among head injuries. The injury can lead to permanent brain damage and even a fatality.

Symptoms of Head Injuries

More blood vessels exist in your head than in other parts of your body. Therefore, bleeding on the surface of and within your brain is a severe concern in head injuries. However, bleeding is not familiar in all head injuries.

Familiar symptoms of a minor head injury include headaches, lightheadedness, spinning sensation, mild confusion, nausea, and temporary ringing in the ears.

Symptoms of severe head injuries include loss of consciousness, vomiting, seizures, abnormal eye movements, memory loss, and leakage of clear fluid from the ear or the nose.

Head injuries of any kind are best not taken lightly. You must see your doctor right away if you experience symptoms of a severe head injury. Alternatively, you can also visit Memorial Heights Emergency Center, where you will receive prompt attention from experienced medical professionals with knowledge in dealing with head injuries.