ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Head trauma

What is head trauma?

4 May 2021

It is a physical injury to the skull caused by a concussion that, depending on its magnitude, can break it and access the brain, affecting it in various ways, and causing cognitive, physical, and emotional dysfunctions, either temporarily or permanently.

In general, car accidents are the main cause of head injuries, followed by falls, sports injuries, work and domestic accidents, being run over, and physical attacks with blunt objects or firearms, among others.

According to their magnitude, head injuries are divided into:

  • Mild.
  • Serious.

Signs and symptoms Head trauma

Symptoms will depend on the type of trauma:

  • Mild.
    • Temporary amnesia.
    • Mood swings.
    • Disorientation.
    • Confusion.
    • Headache.
    • Dizziness.
    • Nausea.
    • Fainting.
    • Hypersensitivity to light or sound.
    • Blurred vision
    • Vomit.
    • Whistling in the ears.
  • Serious.
    • Seizures.
    • Severe confusion.
    • Weak and rigid limbs.
    • Lack of reason.
    • Problems articulating words.
    • Headache.
    • Inability to coordinate movements.
    • Loss of consciousness.
    • Dizziness.
    • Nausea.
    • Vomit.

Anyone with a blow to the head or other types of trauma requires immediate medical attention.

Diagnosis and treatment Head trauma

Your doctor will perform a neurological examination that mainly consists of assessing:

  • Coordination and reflexes.
  • Movement capacity.
  • Reasoning.
  • Sensory ability.

Treatment to be followed will depend on the type of trauma and its severity. If it is a minor injury, rest and medication may be required to relieve swelling and headache.

In severe trauma, timely care is essential to ensure patient stability, minimize damage, and prevent life-threatening complications.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary to help reduce damage to brain tissue, such as bruises, skull fractures, and brain hemorrhages, among others.

In most serious head injuries, rehabilitation therapies will be necessary to return to daily activities, as well as periodic monitoring so that the doctor continues to monitor the injuries’ evolution to prevent complications.

Prevention:

You can help reduce the risk of head injury by always wearing safety gear if you ride a motorcycle or bicycle, as well as avoiding driving while intoxicated and always wearing a seat belt.

At the Orthopedics and Traumatology Center, we seek to improve the lives of patients restricted or immobilized by musculoskeletal disorders or injuries. We specialize in the care of the locomotor system by integrating the latest medical, biological, and technological advances, in strict adherence to the highest international standards of patient care.

We treat injuries such as:

  • Dislocation.
  • Chronic bone and joint diseases.
  • Ligaments.
  • Spinal diseases.
  • Joint replacements.

Related centers and departments Head trauma

Orthopedics and Traumatology Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • neurorhb.com
  • topdoctors.es
  • cigna.com
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • medigraphic.com
  • Torres-Hernández RM, González-Jiménez B, Melo-Santiesteban G, et al. Intoxicación etílica como factor relacionado con defunción por Traumatismo Craneoencefálico en el Servicio Médico Forense. Rev Mex Med Forense. 2021;6(1):36-43.
  • Sierra BEM. Controversias sobre la craniectomía descompresiva en la hipertensión intracraneal traumática. Rev Cub Med Int Emerg. 2019;18(4):1-16.
  • Abreu PD, Gómez CH, Lacerda GÁJ, et al. Manifestaciones neuropsicológicas en pacientes pediátricos con traumatismo craneoencefálico leve. Rev Cubana Neurol Neurocir. 2019;9(1):1-19.
  • Alcántara-Serrano JM, Alcántara-Peraza RA, Romero-Solís I, et al. Sobreuso de la tomografía computarizada en el traumatismo craneoencefálico infantil. Rev Mex Neuroci. 2019;20(1):50-55.

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