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Falls & Head Injuries

Head injuries are some of the most common injuries resulting from falls. Sometimes they can be deadly, or sometimes they can simply just be minor bruises or abrasions. Either way, they are a cause of concern. If you think you have gotten a head injury from a fall, see a doctor.

  1. External Head Injuries

    • External head injuries result in simple abrasions, wounds, or scrapes on the epidermis (or skin). They do not penetrate the brain, skull, and spinal cord, and they are not deadly. In most cases, you can resolve them with bandaging and warm towels on the head. However, if they are not treated, severe bleeding can lead to a deadly situation.

    Internal Head Injuries

    • Internal head injuries penetrate to the spinal cord, skull or brain. Effects may include brain damage, spinal cord damage and skull damage. In these cases, immediate emergency room transport is almost always the norm. Because there is evidence of damage in the brain, skull or the spinal cord, treatment needs to happen right away.

    Trickle-down Effects

    • Because the brain regulates the body's neurological system, severe brain damage can lead to neurological damage to other parts of the body. For instance, if someone fell on his head from a five-story building, he could be fully paralyzed because the section of the brain that regulates the neurological system has been damaged. Furthermore, head injuries have the potential to break the spinal cord, which leads to paralysis and possibly death.

    Other Symptoms

    • Because the head contains different sections of the body's system, including the nervous system, digestive system, and immune system, people with head injuries can have a wide variety of symptoms. Symptoms include severe vomiting, nausea, a large headache, loss of vision, speech impediment, and drowsiness. Symptoms vary from person to person, depending on the section of the head injured.

    Recommended Treatment

    • You can never go wrong with calling 911 for emergency transport to the hospital. Even if the person seems all right, he might have an internal head injury which is not visible. Furthermore, a hot wash cloth and bandages are not always going to do the trick, as sometimes the bleeding can be severe to the point where there is too much blood loss for a non-doctor to handle. According to the MedlinePlus Encyclopedia provided by the US Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, all moderate and severe head injuries are going to require emergency room treatment. Furthermore, MedlinePlus also says that if there is any possible skull fracture, it is highly advised that no direct pressure be applied to the person's head.

    Preventative Treatment

    • To prevent head injuries, wear a protective helmet. Whether it is biking, skateboarding, or even, in some cases, surfing, helmets provide a cushion between your head and the impact of the fall. If you can prevent the accident in the first place, there will be no potential for a head injury in the first place.

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