Head injury: what is it?
This is any injury to your brain, skull or scalp. Not all such injuries are serious. Some can be mild bumps and bruises. However, some types of injuries can be classified under traumatic brain injury. Fractures, concussions and wounds on your scalp are some well-known types of head injuries. If you think you suffer from any of these, consult a consult a right away.
Is it a problem?
In 2013 alone, about 2.8 million visits to the ER were TBI-related. The figure also included hospitalizations and deaths across the United States. In over a span of six years, from 2007 to 2013, death rates rose by about 5 percent, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Common causes
These usually fall under two types: injuries caused by shaking and those caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Injuries caused by shaking are commonly seen in infants and small children. Injuries caused by force or a blow to the head are usually the result of a fall, a physical assault, a motor vehicle accident or from a sports-related accident. Out of all these, though, falls are reported to be the leading cause for TBI-related accidents, with more than 47 percent of all TBI-related visits happening because of a bad fall.
Do you need a doctor?
This type of injury is tricky. That’s because it can be quite a bit of challenge to assess the seriousness of a head injury on the strength of a cursory visual inspection alone. Minor injuries of this type typically bleed a lot but major ones don’t often bleed at all. You’ll need to consult with a brain injury specialist in Orlando and have the injury looked over to determine if it’s a minor or major one.
