How to Treat Acute Head Injuries

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By Cayden Conor
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (4 Ratings)

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.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 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.
Step 2

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

Tips & Warnings

You can make an ice pack by adding 1/3 cup 70 percent isopropyl alcohol to 2/3 cup water in a Ziploc bag. The mixture will turn slushy. Just freeze one or two of these, and they will be ready for when you need it.
If you saw the doctor for any type of head injury, be sure to follow his instructions for care of your particular head injury.
Do not put ice directly on the skin.
Go to the doctor for treatment of any serious or potentially serious head injury.
Supervise children when using any type of ice packs. Do not let them drink it.

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