Head Injury
If you’ve gotten a head injury, don’t wait! Get to Total Point ER right away. It can be difficult to know exactly what type of head injury you have or how severe it is without medical attention. Whether you have a concussion, a contusion, a hematoma, or even a skull fracture or brain bleed, our board certified emergency room doctors are ready to diagnose and treat your injury fast.
When to Go to the ER for a Head Injury
If you or someone you know suffers a head injury and experiences the following symptoms, come to Total Point ER right away for diagnosis and treatment:
- Loss of consciousness (even briefly)
- Severe headache
- Confusion or disorientation
- Weakness or numbness in the arms and legs
- Persistent nausea and/or vomiting
- Unequally sized pupils
- Clear fluid drainage from the nose or ears
- Seizures
- Unusual behavioral changes, such as increased aggression, irritability, or lethargy
- Visible skull deformity
- Severe scalp wound
If a child suffers any type of head injury, even if you don’t notice the symptoms, you should bring them to Total Point ER’s pediatric emergency room for evaluation. Children may not be able to communicate their symptoms effectively, and they are at greater risk of brain injury because their skulls and brains are still developing.
Common Types of Head Injury
There are several types of head injuries, ranging from minor bumps and bruises to more severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Some of the most common types of head injuries include:
- Concussion: a type of brain injury that occurs when a sudden blow to the head or jolt to the body shakes the brain inside the skull. Concussion symptoms can include headache, nausea or vomiting, confusion, dizziness, balance problems, fatigue, sensitivity to light or noise, blurred vision, slurred speech, memory problems, and sudden changes in behavior.
- Brain contusion: a bruise on the brain tissue, usually caused by a sudden direct blow to the head. Brain contusion symptoms can include headache, nausea or vomiting, confusion, dizziness, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, weakness or numbness in the limbs, and seizures.
- Hematoma: a localized collection of blood outside of the blood vessels, usually caused by head trauma. Hematoma symptoms can include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, weakness in the limbs, numbness, difficulty speaking, swelling or bruising at the site of the injury, pain or tenderness, and a feeling of pressure or fullness.
- Skull fracture: a break in one or more bones of the skull. Skull fracture symptoms can include headache, swelling or bruising, visible injury or deformity, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, loss of balance, changes in vision or hearing, clear fluid drainage from the nose or ears, confusion or disorientation, loss of consciousness, seizures, weakness or numbness, mood changes
Because the symptoms of these common head injuries can be so similar, it can be difficult to tell exactly what type (or types) of head injury you’ve suffered or how severe it is without medical expertise. And while urgent care centers can be equipped to handle minor head injuries like mild concussions, they may not be able to help with major head injuries that have similar symptoms, like hematomas or skull fractures.
That’s why you should come to Total Point ER for fast, thorough evaluation after any head injury. We can diagnose and treat your injury properly with no wait, whether it’s major or minor.
