Head injury

It’s a good thing you can’t see me at the moment – I have a large bandage on my upper right temple – no good way to hide that.  But it has given me reason to think a little about head injury.  My 9 month old son had a fall this week too.  What are the signs that someone is seriously injured?  When is medical treatment needed?

There are two basic kinds of head injury.  Obviously, if something has actually broken through the skull, that’s serious!  But it’s harder to tell when someone’s head is just banged.

If someone actually loses consciousness, or if there’s memory loss, they should be checked out right away.  Other than that, the person should be watched closely over the next 24 hours for the following symptoms:
seizures
paralysis/weakness
difficulty speaking, smelling or tasting
vision problems
severe headache or stiff neck that doesn’t improve
dizziness
vomiting after the first 2 hours
extreme sleepiness, or trouble waking up
unusual behavior (in kids specifically)

These things apply to people of any age.  Deal with the bleeding, check for injuries, apply ice, and watch for any of the above symptoms.  If in doubt, call the ambulance or hospital, or call 911 if it’s available in your area.

Thanks to MedLine Plus and WebMD for these tips.