Head injuries usually involve the scalp, skull or brain due to trauma. Concussions are the most common sports-related head injuries. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs when the brain is shaken hard in which it bounces against the skull. This can occur when two athletes collide or when the individual falls and hits his/her head on a hard surface.
Football players ages 5-14 face a high risk for being injured while playing a game. As a contact sport, it involves intense physical contact between players. Concussions and hematomas are types of head injuries that children acquire if injured when playing football. A concussion is a head injury that happens when something hard strikes the head or causes jerking of the brain while a hematoma is a head injury that occurs when a sudden blow in the head causes blood to build up inside the brain or between the layers of tissue that surrounds the brain. It is important to note that these types of head injuries can occur due to uneven tackles, falls and impact from a football. If a severe injury is suspected, it is best to bring the individual to the emergency department for assessment and prompt treatment.
Symptoms of head injuries
- Loss of consciousness, confusion, dizziness and headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Numbness
- Slurred speech and memory loss
Children who experience seizures, persistent vomiting, strange eye movements and difficulty in walking would entail immediate medical attention.
Treatment and home remedies
- If the child/person is unconscious and not breathing, perform chest compression. For adults, you have to perform adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR and if the victim is a child, perform CPR for children.
- If there is bleeding, you have to place clean dressings directly over the scalp or on any cuts in the face.
- Apply an ice pack for 20-30 minutes for every 2-4 hours in order to control the swelling.
- Provide the individual with over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen for the headache. Do not use aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs since they increase the risk for bleeding.
- If the child/adult experiences severe drowsiness, irritability, headache that is getting worse, persistent vomiting and loss of strength in the hands and feet, seek medical help immediately.
- Avoid leaving the child/adult alone. You have to regularly check the child/adult every two hours to assess the alertness level.
- Check for a new symptom that will manifest such confusion, vomiting, unusual behavior and unequal pupils and if these symptoms persists, it is important to seek medical care.
Once you suspect that a child or adult sustained a head injury, it is important to carry these measures to prevent further damage. You can enroll in a first aid class today so that you are ready to handle head injuries.