Head Pain and Trauma

Head Pain and Trauma: A head injury is trauma to the scalp, skull, or brain. The injury may be only a minor bump on the skull or a serious brain injury. Head injuries are a common reason for emergency room visits. A large number of people who suffer head injuries are children. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for over 1 in 6 injury-related hospital admissions each year.

Head injury can be either closed or open (penetrating).

A closed head injury means a hard blow to the head was received from striking an object, but the object did not break the skull.
An open/penetrating head injury means a hit with an object that broke the skull and exposed and/or penetrated the brain. Moving at high speed, such as through the windshield during an auto accident, is likely to cause this injury. A gunshot to the head can also result in an open/penetrating head injury.

Head Pain and Trauma injuries include:

Some head injuries cause changes in brain function. This is called a traumatic brain injury.
A concussion, where the brain is shaken, is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of a concussion can range from mild to severe.
Scalp wounds.
Skull fractures.

Head injuries may cause bleeding:

Inside the brain tissue
Inside the layers that surround the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and extradural hematoma)

Causes:

Common causes of head injury include:

Accidents at home, work, outdoors, or while playing sports
Falls
Physical assault
Auto accidents

Most of these injuries are minor because the skull protects the brain. Some injuries are severe enough to require hospitalization.

Symptoms:

Head injuries may cause bleeding in the brain tissue and the layers that surround the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, epidural hematoma).

Symptoms of a head injury can occur right away or can develop slowly over several hours or days. If the skull is not fractured, the brain can still hit the inside and become bruised. Furthermore, the head may look fine, but problems could result from bleeding or swelling inside. The spinal cord is also likely to be injured in any serious trauma. For Answers to any questions, you may call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900