![]() ![]() The symptoms of bleeding within the skull include: In any case, if the blood flow is not stopped, it can lead to unconsciousness and death. This condition is called intracerebral hemorrhage or intracerebral contusion (from the word for bruising). In other cases, bleeding may occur deeper inside the brain. If the clot is between the dura and the brain tissue itself, the condition is called a subdural hematoma. If the clot is located between the bones of the skull and the covering of the brain (dura), it is called an epidural hematoma. A blood clot (hematoma) may occur if a blood vessel between the skull and the brain ruptures when the blood leaks out and forms a clot, it can press against brain tissue, causing symptoms from a few hours to a few weeks after the injury. This type of injury occurs because the brain is of a different density than the skull, and can be injured when delicate brain tissues hit against the rough, jagged inner surface of the skull.īleeding (hemorrhage) inside the skull may accompany a head injury and cause additional damage to the brain. ![]() A closed head injury also may occur without the head being struck, such as when a person experiences whiplash. A moving head will cause a “contrecoup injury” where the brain damage occurs on the side opposite the point of impact, as a result of the brain slamming into that side of the skull. If the head is resting on impact, the maximum damage will be found at the impact site. The kind of injury the brain receives in a closed head injury is determined by whether or not the head was unrestrained upon impact and the direction, force, and velocity of the blow. It may be the result of a direct blow to the head of the moving head being rapidly stopped, such as when a person’s head hits a windshield in a car accident or by the sudden deceleration of the head without its striking another object. Most cases of epilepsy appear right after the accident or within the first year, and become less likely with increased time following the accident.Ĭlosed head injury refers to brain injury without any penetrating injury to the brain. Post-traumatic amnesia refers to loss of memory for events during and after the accident.Įpilepsy occurs in 2-5% of those who have had a head injury it is much more common in people who have had severe or penetrating injuries. As the patient recovers, memory slowly returns. Others experience temporary amnesia following head injury that begins with memory loss over a period of weeks, months, or years before the injury (retrograde amnesia). In addition to loss of consciousness, initial symptoms of brain injury may include:Īfter a head injury, there may be a period of impaired consciousness followed by a period of confusion and impaired memory with disorientation and a breakdown in the ability to store and retrieve new information. Head trauma may cause a concussion, in which there is a brief loss of consciousness without visible structural damage to the brain. Swelling may raise pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure) and may block the flow of oxygen to the brain. Both closed and penetrating head injuries can cause swirling movements throughout the brain, tearing nerve fibers and causing widespread bleeding or a blood clot in or around the brain. About 70% of all accidental deaths are due to head injuries, as are most of the disabilities that occur after trauma.Ī person who has had a head injury and who is experiencing the following symptoms should seek medical care immediately:Ĭlear fluid drainage from the nose or ear.Ī head injury may cause damage both from the direct physical injury to the brain and from secondary factors, such as lack of oxygen, brain swelling, and disturbance of blood flow. Brain injury is most likely to occur in males between ages 15 and 24, usually as a result of car and motorcycle accidents. However, each year about two million people suffer from a more serious head injury, and up to 750,000 of them are severe enough to require hospitalization. Most people have had some type of head injury at least once in their lives, but rarely do they require a hospital visit. Injuries to the head can be caused by traffic accidents, sports injuries, falls, workplace accidents, assaults, or bullets. More serious injuries can cause skull fracture, blood clots between the skull and the brain, or bruising and tearing of the brain tissue itself. External trauma to the head is capable of damaging the brain, even if there is no external evidence of damage. ![]()
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