Top 3 Head Injuries Caused by Accidents

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Top 3 Head Injuries Caused by AccidentsHead injuries are not uncommon in sports, traffic accidents, or even from a slip and fall accident. Any type of blow to the head can be dangerous and can affect your mental impairment, body functioning, and even lead to serious disability or death. There are different types of head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries. If you’ve suffered a hard hit to the head then you may want to visit a doctor to get checked out and determine whether or not you are in need of traumatic brain injury treatment.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

While a head injury refers to anything that harms the scalp, skull, or brain, a traumatic brain injury is a type of head injury that specifically affects the brain. Damage to the brain can cause swelling or bleeding that can be incredibly harmful or even deadly. Whether you were in a fender bender or a sports accident, if you hit your head, it can have serious consequences. Seek help from an accident doctor as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis and to find out whether you have suffered a traumatic brain injury and require treatment right away.

Open vs. Closed Head Injuries

When you get hit on the head on the sports field, on the road, or even at home, you may suffer a head injury. Your skull is a strong piece of bone that protects your brain from serious damage. A closed head injury is one that doesn’t actually break your skull, while an open head injury refers to a type of penetrating injury that breaks the skin and cracks the skull. An open head injury will typically bleed a lot because of all the blood vessels located in your head, brain, and face. A head wound might not mean you have suffered any damage to your brain, but it is better that a doctor rule this out to ensure you do not have a more serious injury going on.

3 Head Injuries Caused by Accidents:

Here are three examples of head injuries caused by accidents.

1. Concussion

A concussion is perhaps the most well-known and the most common of serious head injuries. This type of injury is a traumatic brain injury because it affects your brain. When you get hit on the head or shaken up hard enough, it can cause the brain to jostle around and even hit the side of the skull. You don’t even have to get hit on the head to suffer a concussion; for example, the force of impact during a car accident or sports tackle can be enough to cause a concussion. When this happens, it can cause immediate symptoms like nausea, vomiting, double vision, and difficulty concentrating or remembering what just happened. Other symptoms that can develop immediately after or in the hours after may include headaches, sensitivity to light or sound, and even sleep disturbance. It is also possible to lose consciousness with a serious concussion.

2. Edema

Another serious head injury that affects the brain is called cerebral edema. Edema refers to swelling of tissues inside the body, and a cerebral edema refers to swelling of the brain. Fluid can develop in and around the brain, which puts pressure on the brain and inside of the skull. This intracranial pressure can be incredibly painful, debilitating, and even life-threatening. This is a serious traumatic brain injury that can be caused by serious head trauma suffered from an accident. When the brain swells, it can keep your body from functioning properly and even prevent proper blood flow to the brain.

3. Skull Fracture

A fracture refers to a broken bone. Unlike other bones in your body, the skull doesn’t have any bone marrow, which means it is incredibly strong and not easy to crack or break. A cracked or broken skull, known as a skull fracture, is a type of head injury that can vary in its severity depending on whether or not the brain was affected. In some cases, a skull fracture may be able to heal over time and cause few problems. In more serious cases, it can lead to bleeding and brain damage.

Assessment and Treatment for Head Injuries

At Pro-Care Medical Center, we offer comprehensive head injury evaluations for car accident victims, athletes, and anyone who has suffered a head injury. We also provide traumatic brain injury treatment through our team of doctors and specialists. Call or visit us online to find out more about how we can help you recover from a head injury!

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