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Head Injuries

Head Injury Treatment & Emergency Care

Head injuries are terrifying, unpredictable, and potentially life-altering. Seeking immediate care can save lives and reduce the risk of long-term complications.

The team at Prestige ER is ready to make a fast and accurate diagnosis and provide personalized treatment to protect your health and well-being. Keep reading to learn about head injury types, severity levels, and when to seek emergency treatment.

What Is a Head Injury?

A head injury is a broad term that describes several types of injuries involving the scalp, skull, brain, underlying tissue, and blood vessels in the head.

Types of Head Injuries

Here are some of the different types of head injuries:

Concussions

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that affects the head area and brain function. It often results in an instant loss of awareness, alertness, and sometimes consciousness for a few minutes and up to a few hours following the traumatic event. Common symptoms include headache, confusion, memory loss, vision changes, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.

Skull Fractures

A skull fracture is a break in the bone structure that surrounds your brain, often caused by head trauma, falls, car accidents, physical assault, and sports. Symptoms may include:

  • Bleeding from the wound, ears, nose, or around the eyes.
  • Bruising behind the ears or under the eyes.
  • Drainage of clear or bloody fluid from the ears or nose.
  • Changes in pupils.
  • Confusion.
  • Seizures.
  • Difficulty with balance.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Slurred speech.

Contusions

A brain contusion is a bruising of the brain tissue. It typically includes structural brain damage and is more severe than a concussion. Cerebral contusions are caused by trauma to the head resulting from a fall, car accident, sports injury, physical violence, explosive blasts, and shaken baby syndrome. Symptoms include:

  • Dizziness.
  • Problems with memory.
  • Anxiety or irritability.
  • Abnormal sleeping patterns.
  • Persistent headache.
  • Weakness, numbness, or difficulty walking.
  • Sudden change in thinking or behavior.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic brain injuries can range from mild to severe and affect how a person thinks, feels, acts, and moves. They are often caused by a blow to the head or an object penetrating the skill. Symptoms of TBI include confusion, difficulty concentrating or communicating, short-term memory loss, ringing in the ears, and blurred vision.

Severity Levels of Head Injuries

The severity of a head injury can vary from a mild bump, bruise, or cut to more severe conditions such as a concussion, deep wound, fractured skull, or internal bleeding and brain damage.

Here is a breakdown of the symptoms of mild, moderate, and severe head injuries.

Mild Injuries

A mild head injury is a bump or cut on the head that does not result in any serious brain injury or permanent damage. Mild head injuries cause one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Raised, swollen area from a bump or bruise.
  • Small, superficial cut in the scalp.
  • Dizziness, headache, or problems with balance.
  • Fatigue or lethargy.
  • Sensitivity to light and noise.
  • Irritability, confusion, and problems with concentration.
  • Blurred vision.
  • Ringing in the ears.

Moderate to Severe Injuries

Moderate to severe head injuries require immediate medical attention. They include any of the above symptoms plus:

  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Severe, persistent headache.
  • Repeated nausea and vomiting.
  • Loss of short-term memory.
  • Slurred speech, difficulty with waking.
  • Weakness on one side or area of the body.
  • Blood or clear fluid leaking from the ears, nose, eyes, or mouth.

When to Seek Emergency Treatment

If you or a loved one has experienced a head injury along with one or more of the following symptoms, seek immediate emergency treatment:

  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Severe headache.
  • Blood or fluid draining from the eyes, ears, or nose.
  • Repeated vomiting.
  • Confusion.
  • Seizures.
  • Unequal pupil sizes or vision changes.
  • Difficulty speaking.
  • Weakness or numbness in the limbs.
  • Worsening or other concerning symptoms.

When in doubt, always seek emergency treatment for head injuries—especially for children and older adults.

Head Injury Treatment Options

A doctor will perform a physical and neurological exam and order imaging (e.g., CT or MRI) to assess the nature and severity of your head injury. Treatments may include:

Non-Surgical Treatments

Non-surgical and first-aid head injury treatment typically includes the following:

  • Rest.
  • Pain medication.
  • Ice packs or cool compresses.
  • Cognitive rehabilitation.
  • Physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
  • Psychological counseling.

Surgical Treatments

In the case of moderate to severe head injuries, surgical treatments, like a craniotomy, are often required to stop the bleeding, remove clotted blood, relieve pressure, or create space for swollen tissue.

FAQs About Head Injury

What should I do if someone has a head injury?

If someone suffers a head injury, immediately check their airway, breathing, and circulation. If they are unconscious or not breathing, start CPR. If they are conscious, do the following:

  • Keep them still and calm.
  • Stabilize their head and neck.
  • Apply firm, direct pressure to any bleeding wounds.
  • Call 9-1-1 for emergency help.
  • Watch for signs of worsening conditions like confusion, drowsiness, seizures, or difficulty breathing.

DO NOT:

  • Move the person unless necessary.
  • Remove a helmet unless necessary.
  • Apply direct pressure to a suspected head fracture.
  • Give the person anything to eat or drink.

How long does it take to recover from a head injury?

The time it takes to recover from a head injury largely depends on the type of injury and its severity. Most people with a mild TBI or concussion recover within one week to three months. However, recovery periods may be longer, especially for those with comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, or chronic pain) or those over 40.

For moderate to severe TBIs, recovery time can last months to years. However, with proper care, lifestyle changes, therapy, and support, patients with head injuries can continue to improve long-term.

What are the risks of untreated head injuries?

The biggest risks of letting a head injury go untreated are brain damage, cognitive problems, mental health issues, chronic physical complications (e.g., balance issues), an increased risk of other conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s), and life-threatening conditions (e.g., second impact syndrome).

Can head injuries cause long-term effects?

Moderate to severe head injuries can cause long-term impairments, including:

  • Cognitive changes.
  • Behavioral changes.
  • Emotional changes.
  • Mobility disabilities.

Choose Prestige ER for Emergency Medical Care

Don’t wait to seek treatment for head injuries—Prestige Emergency Room provides rapid, reliable emergency care for head injury medical emergencies, like TBIs, concussions, contusions, and more.

We are a veteran-owned facility that provides personalized, expert care to you and your family 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Find a location near you and visit us today.

At Prestige ER, we believe everyone deserves prompt, efficient, and top-tier healthcare, regardless of their circumstances. We’re proud to offer four locations in San Antonio, Texas, making it easy to visit a location that’s near you. Simply walk into one of our military-trusted, veteran-owned and operated emergency rooms, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In times of crisis, remember that Prestige ER provides a wide range of emergency services you can count on.