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Head Trauma Treatment

Head trauma can range from a bump on the head to a serious brain injury. The head trauma can be an open or closed injury to the head. A closed injury means the head has received a hard blow, but the skull is not cracked. An open injury means the object has cracked the skull and entered the brain.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of a closed-head injury, or concussion, are confusion, headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, memory problems, irritability and sleep loss. These symptoms might last for days or weeks. Severe head trauma involves loss of consciousness lasting from several minutes to several days. Other symptoms include convulsions, unequal size of pupils, a drop in blood pressure, severe headache, lack of coordination and unusual behavior.

    Minor Head Trauma Treatment

    • Minor head injuries can be cared for at home. Apply ice wrapped in a towel to a head bump for 20 to 30 minutes. Frozen peas wrapped in a towel will work as well. The ice will help reduce the size of the bump. Pain relievers such as aspirin and Advil can help with pain and inflammation. Take it easy for a few days and rest so the injury can heal.

    Major Head Trauma Treatment

    • Severe closed-head injuries need medical evaluation. An intracranial pressure monitor might be inserted into the brain to measure pressure. When pressure rises too high, surgery might be needed to reduce pressure inside the brain. Anti-seizure medicine can also be administered to prevent or treat any seizures after head trauma. When a closed-head injury indicates bleeding in the brain, surgery might be needed. Anti-seizure, pressure monitors and antibiotics to fight any infection will also be given. A breathing tube can be inserted to prevent further brain injury. Penetrating or open-head trauma will often require surgery to remove an object and to stop bleeding.

    Tips

    • After suffering head trauma, there is a list of things not to do. Do not shake a person if they seem dazed after a fall, do not remove any object sticking out of the head, do not move a person unless it's absolutely necessary and do not drink alcohol within 48 hours after a severe head injury.

    Prevention/Solution

    • To help prevent head injuries, always wear a helmet when biking, motorcycle riding or inline skating. Fall-proof your home by checking areas where falls can occur such as stairs, throw rugs and bathtubs.

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