Life is full of ups and down and all kinds of bumps. A few of those bumps are going to be taken on the head. However, even a minor bump can have major complications. We are all likely to suffer minor head trauma a few times in our lives. But there are dangers lurking beneath those bumps that should make us all a lot more careful about how we react to these bumps and how we prevent them.
Always be on the lookout for symptoms after the fact
The truth is that though an injury may be minor, there might have been more lasting damage done. For instance, you could suffer from traumatic brain injury. In some of the worst cases, this can go on to do real mental damage, as well. It can impair concentration, memory, and even impulsive behavior. The most obvious signs of brain trauma are a loss of consciousness, nausea or vomiting or any fluid coming from the nose or ears. These symptoms warrant an immediate trip to the emergency room. But so should being dazed, confused or disoriented, or changes to sleeping patterns, whether it’s difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual.
Every concussion does more damage
There are a few walks of life where you might expect to get a few concussions throughout the years. For instance, in contact sports. But contact sports are also starting to take concussions a lot more seriously. We have all seen how people after long boxing careers can develop things like Parkinson’s due to repeated concussions. But the chances of developing concussions actually go up every time you suffer from one, as well. For instance, you’re 2-3 times more likely to have a concussion if you’ve already had one. If you’ve had two, you 2-4 times more likely to have a third. If you’ve had a third, you’re 3-9 times more likely to have another. It’s important to recognize the danger in hobbies and lifestyle options that lead to concussions and think about when you might need to quit before too much damage is done.
You can lose your senses
It’s not just serious trauma and mental health you should be concerned about. If you value your very senses, then you’re going to have to take any head injury a lot more seriously. Brain trauma can, for a start, cause your vision to blur as well as causing visual hallucinations. But they can do much more permanent damage to your hearing. Trauma-related hearing loss is far from uncommon. It can also be costly, with expenditures like changes to the home and maintenance like repairing hearing aids to be considered. The more often you sustain a head injury, the higher your chances of temporarily or permanently losing one of your senses.
How to react to a head injury
Even when you have suffered from any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should always take care in how you react to a head injury. Ask someone to stay with you or keep in close range of a phone you can use for emergency help if the symptoms above show themselves in the next 48 hours. Avoid stress and rest. Don’t take part in any contact sports. Don’t drink alcohol. If you need to take painkillers, make sure you avoid NSAIDS, too. A lot of people might reach for options like Ibuprofen, believing it will get rid of the pain better than paracetamol. However, they can complicate issues if you are in fact suffering from brain trauma.
Protecting your head
With the above in mind, we should all recognize how dangerous any head injury can be. To that end, we should all be doing a lot more to prevent them from happening, too. As we mentioned, consider a lifestyle change if you’ve already suffering a couple of concussions. Make sure you’re never practicing in contact sports or riding a vehicle like a bicycle or a motorcycle without the appropriate headgear. Don’t wear clothes that interfere with your vision or your perception of the space around you. If there are threats in the workplace that could lead to trips and falls, talk to your employer about them and see that they’re removed.
Not every head injury is going to be something to worry about. Most of them can be walked off with very little issue besides a tender spot. But it pays to be aware of the dangers and to keep a close eye on ourselves and our loved ones when a head injury of any severity is involved.
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