Live Life Team
Most of the severe head injuries result in damage to the brain. Even though the skull gives strong protection, when brain bumps against the skull during accidents, it gets bruises and blood vessels and nerves are damaged. Bleeding can occur if the blow is severe. Swelling may occur on the brain. Fluid may also build up. All these developments cause much pressure on the brain. Sometimes the brain may suffer damage. Severe head injuries can happen due to falls, assaults or accidents on traffic roads. Sometimes it may happen in the home or in the workplace.
Severe head injuries need immediate medical attention. If the injury has caused unconsciousness, the affected person should be taken to hospital immediately, as the hospital has equipment for assessing the severity of the damage accurately.
What are the complications involved in severe head injuries
Severe head injuries can damage the brain severely. It can also be fatal. Sometimes the damage becomes permanent and irreparable. Therefore, the hospital nurses closely monitor the person admitted with severe head injury. This monitoring enables sorting out the complications immediately.
If the skull has suffered a fracture, it may lead to infection. The fracture can damage the membrane surrounding the brain. The infected membrane results in meningitis, which can affect the nervous system. Sometimes, severe head injuries can cause coma, an unconscious stage. Comas continue for days or weeks together, depending on the nature of the coma. It may last for years also in some cases. However, many persons recover from coma. If the severity is very high, the patient may go into a vegetative state. The patient may be awake in this state, but the responses are limited. The patient may not feel mental distress of physical pains.
Damage to the brain can cause various complications. Some damages are temporary, whereas, some lead to permanent harm. Mainly there are four categories of brain damage. They are physical effects, sensory effects, cognitive effects and emotional or behavioural effects.
Physical effects include weakness, paralysis, stiffness and loss of co-ordination. Sensory effects include affected senses such as double vision, ringing sound in the ears and blind spots. Cognitive effects include affected ability of processing and memory. Emotional or behavioural effects are changes in behaviour such as restlessness, getting irritated easily and laughing or crying for unknown reasons.
How to prevent severe head injuries
Mostly accidents cause severe head injuries. It is very difficult to prevent accidents. You can try to reduce the risk of brain damage, even if the head injury is severe. People driving two-wheelers can protect their heads with safety helmets, to prevent severe head injuries.
Whether it home or workplace, safety guidelines should be followed religiously. Childproof homes provide a safe environment for toddlers and young children. You should keep the windows locked properly. Keep chairs and sofas away from windows. Keep fragile things out of reach of children. Cover sharp corners with guards. Ensure that the stairs have safety gates. In the workplace, wear helmet and safety shoes. While in sports activities, wear respective safety gears of the games. You should play contact sports when you have a severe head injury.
