There are a variety of head injuries that can take place during a motor vehicle accident. It is important that you educate yourself with the right information; it could save your life.
Brain edema (swelling)
Brain swelling (also known as cerebral edema or brain edema) due to a car accident is caused by the trauma of physical contact with an object and the quick acceleration and deceleration of the head. Too much swelling can prevent fluid from leaving the brain. Immediate hospitalization is required when brain swelling is suspected.
Brain hemorrhage
A brain hemorrhage happens when blood vessels that travel between the brain and scalp stretch and rip open in an accident. Localized bleeding or a hematoma results, which can lead to the death of brain cells and possible brain damage or swelling. Regardless of where and between which layers of head tissue bleeding is taking place, hospitalization and surgery are usually necessary.
Cerebral Contusion
Another type of brain injury is a cerebral contusion, which is when the brain is bruised. Patients are usually admitted for observation, although the condition usually goes away by itself. However, cerebral contusions occasionally worsen into brain swelling.
Some head injuries look superficial but can lead to more serious injury and possibly brain damage.
Lacerations and Bruises
These injuries are common in motor vehicle accidents. A laceration by itself is most often not life-threatening barring serious blood loss, but it should be checked out by a medical professional to check for a skull fracture, which can create a pathway to intracranial bleeding.
Small bruises, or discolorations caused by small blood vessels under the skin rupturing are also usually no reason for concern. However, if bruising is severe or accompanied by pain and swelling, a skull fracture may have taken place and hospitalization is required to prevent brain edema and damage.
Skull and Facial Fractures
There are several types of fractures to the skull and facial bones that can happen during a motor vehicle accident; all should be checked out by a medical professional to look for and prevent possible brain damage.
Linear skull fractures, particularly common in children, are not treated as serious injuries unless brain damage is suspected.
Blunt force trauma, such as that caused by a steering wheel or the frame of a car, can lead to a depressed skull fracture. Depending on the depth of the depression of the fracture, surgery may be required to elevate small bones or to survey the brain for possible injury.
A basilar skull fracture results from severe blunt head trauma of a substantial force. Basilar skull fractures often affect sinus cavities and with these injuries, fluid and air has been known to enter the skull and lead to infection.
Facial fractures involve damage to or dislocation of the nose, jaw, cheekbone, and eye socket. These injuries can be as serious as skull fractures and can cause pain, swelling, bruising, and tenderness. Problems or unusual circumstances involving seeing, hearing, breathing, and sensation can imply serious injury.
Spinal injuries
The spine is connected to the head and brain by bone contact and the fact that the spine protects a large bunch of nerves directly leading from the brain (the spinal cord).
A fractured vertebrae (or more generally, a spinal fracture) must be checked out if suspected. Symptoms vary, ranging from back pain to bowel incontinence.
Sometimes a fractured vertebrae can lead to a herniated cervical disc. This happens when the shock-absorbing cushions that surrounds the discs of the spine bulge or rip open due to damage. Herniated cervical discs mostly happen in the neck and lumbar regions of the spine. Symptoms include pain in the neck, numbness or weakness in the upper body, and unusual tingling.
Know the signs!
Brain and head injuries are not always obvious, but you and your medical professional can search for signs that injury has taken place. Besides the obvious physical demarcations (e.g. bruising, blood, swelling), events such as a concussion, loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia, and a seizure also point to possible brain injury.
Additional symptoms that could point at brain injury are headache, nausea, vision changes, numbness, loss of coordination, and back pain.
A medical professional may do basic neurologic tests (such as "How many fingers do you see?") to determine if further testing is required. If so, CT scan, MRI, or other imaging devices may be used to come up with a specific diagnosis. Spinal and lumbar taps are used for spinal injuries.