Head Trauma: Heading in the Right Direction
Head Trauma: Heading in the Right Direction
In many medical-legal cases, head trauma can play an important role as to why the patient’s symptoms are not improving or, in some cases, even worsening. Head injuries can be the result of hitting your head during a car accident, a slip and fall incident, or a sports injury, to name a few. And while you may have other injuries that are easier to diagnose, treating head trauma is critical as it can have lasting effects that impact your memory, your senses, and your daily life.
What is considered a head injury?
As noted on Healthline.com, “A head injury is any sort of injury to your brain, skull, or scalp. This can range from a mild bump or bruise to a traumatic brain injury. Common head injuries include concussions, skull fractures, and scalp wounds. The consequences and treatments vary greatly, depending on what caused your head injury and how severe it is. It can be hard to assess how serious a head injury is just by looking. Some minor head injuries bleed a lot, while some major injuries don’t bleed at all. It’s important to treat all head injuries seriously and get them assessed by a doctor.”
Don’t wait for head injuries to resolve on their own
Symptoms of minor head trauma to watch out for can include headaches, dizziness, confusion, tinnitus (ringing in the ears). More severe head injuries may result in symptoms like nausea, seizures, memory loss, mood swings, and clear fluid leaking from the nose or ears. Patients that recognize these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Taking the “wait and see” approach for a head injury is never a good idea.
Medical treatment options
Your medical provider will need to assess your injuries to come up with the best plan for you. That may mean having an MRI, CT scan, neurological exam, or other brain scans to check for damage. With that information, your doctor can determine if you can just take Tylenol for the pain, or if more extreme measures are required such as surgery on your skull, anti-seizure medication, or rehabilitation.
Because brain injuries can affect your life in so many ways (and for so many years), it is important to treat them early and thoroughly. Your team of doctors, surgeons, psychologists, and physical therapists are there to help you work through the trauma in the safest, best ways possible.
