A car accident head injury can be life-changing, ranging from minor concussions to completely changing a person. Head injuries are the leading killer for Canadians under the age of 40. There are two types of general head injuries; a closed head injury, which is when an object strikes a blow to the head, and an open head injury, which is when an object enters into the brain. Both types of injuries can be detrimental to a person and cause a variety of side effects.
The most common type of car accident head injury is a concussion. Other types of head injuries include scalp wounds and skull fractures. Car accidents account for 50 percent of all head injuries. Car accidents resulting in head injury can cause bleeding and swelling of the brain which can result in critical conditions such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and extradural hematoma.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage is when the space swells between the brain and the thin issues that cover the brain. A subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs most often with people that have been in a car accident resulting in head injury. The most common symptom of this type of head injury is a sudden headache known as a “thunder-clap headache”. It hits suddenly and near the back of the head. The brain swells and can result in nausea and vomiting, temporary blindness, and seizures.
A car accident head injury that causes either a subdural hematoma or an extradural hematoma often occurs from skull fractures that occur in collisions. An extradural hematoma, also known as an epidural hematoma, is caused by the bleeding of the inside of the skull and the outer covering of the brain called the “dura”. The vessels affected in the area bleed and swell and are often torn by skull fractures that occur in car accidents resulting in head injury. The symptoms of an extradural hematoma are repeated loss of consciousness and an enlarged pupil near the area of trauma. Occasionally, an extradural hematoma does not occur right away, and the brain will start bleeding hours after the car accident. This is why it is important to be monitored once a head injury occurs to ensure that it will not worsen over the first 24 hours.
A subdural hematoma is when blood collects between the covering of the brain, “the dura”, and the surface of the brain. An acute subdural hematoma is the most dangerous of car accident brain injuries, because the collection of blood compresses the brain and can result in permanent brain damage or death. Chronic subdural hematoma can occur over a period of weeks and symptoms include loss of speech, confusion, difficulty with balance and walking, and nausea and vomiting. Surgery is often needed with a subdural hematoma because a hole needs to be drilled into the brain to help release the pressure caused by brain compression.
Neurotrauma injuries such as head injuries account for 2-3 billion dollars annually and impact over half a million Ontarians. Car accident head injuries impact Ontarians emphatically and can cause life-changing effects. Safety while driving is essential to avoid the devastating effects of head injuries and its impacts.
Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000701.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000713.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/encyclopedia_E.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001412.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000028.htm
http://www.bist.ca/brain-injury-fact-figures