CONTUSION OR BUMP TO THE HEAD. WARNING SYMPTOMS.

When we refer to contusions or bumps to the head, we refer to traumas that range from mild to severe and that tend solve themselves. A small and painful inflammation emerges in the affected area, even though there are symptoms sometimes that suggest that a deep structure in the brain could be affected, which would mean that a doctor would have to be seen urgently.

These symptoms are:

1. An intense cluster headache that it extends throughout the head.

2. An inexplicable dizziness that starts from the moment of the fall and gets progressive worse.

3. Vomiting and nausea.

4. Drowsiness or fatigue without prior tiredness.

5. Seizures. This symptom can emerge at the moment of the fall or after it.

6. Incontinence with relaxation of the sphincters, which in older people can happen for up to a month after the fall.

7. Memory loss. The patient does not remember how the fall occurred.

8. Disorientation. The patient does not know where she/he is and it is usually linked with memory loss.

9. Photopsia or perception of seeing lights or stars.

10. Otorrhagia or bleeding from the ears.

11. Unconsciousness. The patient experiences a complete loss of consciousness.

Every time that there is a contusion or a bump to the head, the recommendations to follow will always be:

• Keep an eye out for these symptoms in case they present themselves during the first twenty four to forty eight hours after the fall.

• Maintain a period of constant of observation the patient, trying to always make sure that they respond to small stimuli when they are sleeping, such as speaking to them and always ensuring that there is an interval of time of thirty to sixty minutes.

These measures of observation are crucial for small children as they are sometimes incapable of showing symptoms that are easy to detect in older children or adults.

Dr J. Hurtado Martínez
Medical Director of HealthSalus