How to Treat Acute Head Injuries

A head injury is a term used to describe trauma to the head or brain. There are many kinds of head injuries, such as skull fractures (linear, depressed, basilar), intracranial hemorrhage (internal bleeding inside the skull), subdural hematoma, epidural hematoma, and intraparenchymal hemorrhage. There are also closed head injuries, which are any injury to the brain not caused by a penetrating injury such as a stab wound or gunshot wound. All types of head injuries can be caused by any trauma such as car accidents, assaults, falls and abuse. No matter what type of injury you have, it is important to be knowledgeable of the facts. Read on to learn how to treat acute head injuries.

Instructions

• 1

  To treat a goose egg, which is bleeding between the scalp and the skull, apply ice for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Repeat every two to four hours. Ice used immediately helps reduce the size of the goose egg. Goose eggs go away on their own.

• 2

  To treat other minor head injuries, get plenty of bed rest and fluids. You may take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen.

• 3

  To treat a cut that does not need stitches, clean out the wound and apply a bandage. If it is a good sized gash, you will need to go to the doctor for stitches. You may even require a tetanus shot. Depending on where the cut is, and how deep it is, you may be required to spend a few days in the hospital for observation.