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Head Injuries
Summary
Chances are you’ve bumped your head before. Often, the injury is minor because your skull is hard and it protects your brain. But other head injuries can be more severe, such as a skull fracture, concussion, or traumatic brain injury.
Head injuries can be open or closed. A closed injury does not break through the skull. With an open, or penetrating, injury, an object pierces the skull and enters the brain. Closed injuries are not always less severe than open injuries.
Some common causes of head injuries are falls, motor vehicle accidents, violence, and sports injuries.
It is important to know the warning signs of a moderate or severe head injury. Get help immediately if the injured person has:
- A headache that gets worse or does not go away
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- An inability to wake up
- Dilated (enlarged) pupil in one or both eyes
- Slurred speech
- Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
- Loss of coordination
- Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
Doctors use a neurologic exam and imaging tests to make a diagnosis. Treatment depends on the type of injury and how severe it is.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Find an Expert
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Craniocerebral Trauma National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Head Injuries National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Skull Fractures National Institutes of Health
Diagnosis and Tests
- Computed Tomography (CT) — Head Radiological Society of North America
- Head MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Radiological Society of North America
- Skull Radiography American Society of Radiologic Technologists
- Ultrasound: Head (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Encyclopedia
- Head CT scan Medical Encyclopedia
- Preventing head injuries in children Medical Encyclopedia
- Skull x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
Children
- Head Injuries Nemours Foundation
Start Here
- Head Injuries American Academy of Family Physicians
- Overview of Head Injuries Merck & Co., Inc.
Patient Handouts
- Head injury – first aid Medical Encyclopedia
- Skull fracture Medical Encyclopedia
Español/Spanish
- Head Injury: What to Do if Your Child Loses Consciousness American Academy of Pediatrics
Treatments and Therapies
- Head Trauma, First Aid VisualDX
- Head Trauma: First Aid Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Specifics
- Intracranial hematoma Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research