What to Do If You Hit Your Head

Brain Injury Awareness Month is observed in March every year. The recent and seemingly sudden death of comedian Bob Saget as a result of head trauma might have you wondering about what to do if you hit your head. The first thing you should know is that head injuries are common and don’t always result in death. With that being said, it is important to not overlook head injuries. Here is a list of steps to follow if you hit your head and need guidance to ensure your safety.

What to Do If You Hit Your Head

If you have hit your head, you must treat all seemingly mild head injuries with proper care until a medical professional is able to assess you. Never assume that an injury is nothing major when the potential for unseen or internal damage is still there.

What should you do if you hit your head?

What shouldn’t you do if you hit your head?

Here’s a guide that will tell you what you need to know if you or someone else hits their head.

Get Away from Danger

Head injuries can happen as a result of many things, including car accidents and inopportune falls. The first thing to do if you have injured your head (or someone else has) is to get away from immediate danger. For example, if you get in a car accident, remove yourself from oncoming traffic immediately.

It is extremely important to assess the injury site as well as the potential for additional neck injuries immediately after the injury occurs and before attempting to move.

Assess the Injury Site

After you remove yourself from immediate danger, assess the injury site. Head injuries can happen in different ways: in some cases, an accident might pierce the skin or cause something to lodge within the injury site. Refrain from dislodging any debris without the assistance of a licensed medical professional.

Even minor head injuries can bleed profusely. To stop the bleeding, allow blood to coagulate around the wound, and avoid immediate wound cleaning. Cleaning the wound immediately will just make the injury bleed afresh.

Assess the Neck

Head injuries can also cause damage minor or major damage to the neck area. After a blow to the head, assess the severity of the injury and try to stabilize/immobilize the neck very carefully. In the event of a serious head or neck injury, contact medical professionals immediately. Emergency medical professionals may then brace the area and transport you to an emergency room for further testing and x-rays.

Assess Physical Responses

In the first couple of minutes after a head injury, it’s a good idea to assess physical responses. A normal response to light (e.g. natural pupil dilation and contraction when exposed to light) and feeling (especially in the extremities like the fingers and toes) is what you want to see.

If an injury is more severe or affects other parts of the body (such as the neck), then there might be a delay in physical responses. Please note, with any type of head or neck injury you should always assume that you need medical attention even if physical responses appear fine.

Assess Mental Alertness

Confusion is common in the first couple of seconds after a head injury. However, when mental alertness is affected, this can be a sign of a more severe head injury. Also, when confusion or loss of consciousness is coupled with a head injury, this can signal more severe internal injuries such as cranial swelling or bleeding.

If there are any signs of confusion after a head injury, seek immediate medical attention even if no other symptoms are present. Further assessments by a trained medical professional can establish the severity of the injury.

Never attempt to drive yourself to the hospital after a head injury. Instead, seek help or call emergency services (911) immediately.

Apply Ice

Most head injuries will cause swelling or pain. Once a full assessment of the injury has been completed, apply a combination of ice and pressure to the injury. However, do not press too hard, as this has the potential to cause further damage. Instead, apply light, but firm pressure to stop the potential for any bleeding. The ice will help reduce swelling at the injury site, while the pressure will stop bleeding where present.

Seek Medical Attention

Even if you believe that the head injury is not serious, experts still advise seeking medical attention after the initial assessment.

Professional medical assessment immediately after a head injury is the most important item on this list and can save lives. A thorough medical examination can also give you a reassuring all-clear after any kind of accident.

Helpful reading: Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?

Our Urgent Care Walk-In Clinics in Omaha, Bennington, West Omaha, Rockbrook, Crossroads & Bellevue, NE

Our staff works to provide prompt, personal, and professional care for all of our patients. We strive to provide the attention patients need in as quick a time as possible. Urgent Care Clinics in Omaha & Bellevue, Nebraska has three locations in the Omaha metropolitan area. Our three walk-in clinics are:

Disclaimer
The information contained on this webpage is for educational purposes as well as to provide general information and general understanding of the pertinent medical issue only, not to provide a specific diagnosis. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. By using this blog/web site you understand there is no doctor patient relationship between you and the blog/web site publisher. The information included on this site should not be used as a substitute for medical advice from a licensed medical professional in your state. Neither Urgent Care Network, its subsidiaries, affiliates, assignees or successors in interest, nor any other party assume liability for loss or damage due to reliance on content of this blog/web site. If you are experiencing a severe medical issue, you should seek emergency assistance immediately.