Headaches after a head injury what to do

Types of injuries sustained after impact

Painful sensations after a blow can manifest themselves in different ways. The injuries that led to the pain in the head can also be different.

The most common head injuries caused by impact include:

• injury;
• hematoma;
• fracture;
• wounds.

Pain can occur from bruising of different parts of the head. It can touch the scalp, face, nose, and jaw.

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But the most dangerous is considered to be a brain contusion. Depending on the severity, the patient loses consciousness and exhibits many unpleasant symptoms.

This type is also characterized by the occurrence of hematomas.

There are three types of hematomas: epidural, subdural, intracranial. The first occurs under the skin, without much damage to the structure. The second is characterized by a violation of the intramuscular space, and the third is inside the skull.

Fractures may involve the cheekbones, nose or eye socket, or the skull as a whole. Mechanical damage such as wounds comes in several varieties: punctures, lacerations, cuts, bullets.

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The mildest type of head injury is considered to be a concussion, the symptoms of which can be recognized even by non-medics:

• As a rule, having hit his head (or received an external blow), the patient immediately loses consciousness;
• More often, loss of consciousness is followed by a state of stupefaction, less often psychomotor agitation can be observed;
• Headache, nausea, and vomiting are commonly perceived as characteristic symptoms of a cervical concussion;
• After an injury, signs of ill health such as pale skin, heart rhythm disturbances (tachy- or bradycardia) cannot be ignored;
• In other cases, there is a memory impairment of the retrograde amnesia type - the person is unable to remember the circumstances that preceded the injury.

Symptoms that occur after a head impact

If you have a headache after a blow, you should pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. They can often tell you more about the resulting consequences.

After the blow occurs, a hematoma forms at the injured site. In this case, painful sensations are located at the site of injury. This is a case that does not require a trip to the hospital - it can be solved at home.

If the damage is severe, bleeding occurs. It is often difficult to stop it on your own. In this case, the pain only intensifies, dizziness and nausea are noted.

If a person has the following symptoms, you should immediately call an ambulance:

• clear or bloody discharge from the nose and ears;
• temperature rise to 38 degrees;
• drowsiness;
• confusion;
• loss of consciousness;
• the presence of additional injuries on the back, in the occipital region;
• speech disorder;
• inability to focus on one point;
• change in pupil shape;
• labored breathing.

Depending on the severity of the injuries received, the manifestation of symptoms will be appropriate. If a characteristic symptom is nausea with vomiting, then in a mild form it will be one-time and short-term, and in a severe form it will be long-term.

It is important to remember that if the patient has severe symptoms, he should not be moved independently. This is fraught with complications.

Safe modern medicines and pills

When planning a visit to the doctor, the patient should be prepared to answer questions about how often pain occurs and what its intensity is. This will help the doctor develop the correct treatment tactics.

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Groups of drugs effective for episodic attacks of pain

The main medications for the treatment of this pathology are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They not only have an analgesic effect, but also relieve inflammation and eliminate swelling.

Most often prescribed:

• Ibuprofen—400 mg per day;
• Ketoprofen—100 mg/s;
• Naproxen—500 mg/s;
• Meloxicam—7.5-15 mg/s;
• Celecoxib—200 mg/s.

Most NSAIDs have a very negative side effect: with long-term use, they negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract, even leading to the development of drug-induced gastritis.

Medicines Meloxicam and Celecoxib are new generation drugs that do not have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. The disadvantages of using these drugs include the relatively high price.

Analgesics are most often used at home to relieve an attack. They do not treat the disease, but only relieve pain. Drugs in this group are suitable for stopping episodic attacks, but their systematic use can lead to the occurrence of abuse syndrome.

During an attack of pain, you can take Paracetamol - 100 mg, Citramon, Analgin - 500 mg or Mig 200-400 mg.

If the examination revealed the appearance of cephalgia after exercise as a result of increased blood pressure, the doctor will prescribe medications prescribed at an early stage of the development of hypertension. These include: vasodilators, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, calcium channel blockers.

Remember! Self-prescribing antihypertensive drugs is unacceptable. Self-medication can lead to serious consequences.

For muscle tension, drugs from the group of muscle relaxants are used as part of complex therapy. They relax the spasmodic muscles of the head and neck, relieving pain of a spastic nature, and help restore blood flow.

Most often prescribed:

• Mydocalm—150-450 mg per day;
• Sirdalud (Tizanidine)—4 mg/s;
• Baclofen—15 mg/s.

Nootropic drugs are often prescribed as part of complex therapy: Phenibut, Nootropil, Glycine. Nootropics have an activating effect on brain function and increase its resistance to damaging factors. The drugs improve cerebral circulation and eliminate the consequences of traumatic brain injuries.

Sedatives in combination with basic drugs lead to muscle relaxation and decreased vascular tone. Taking tranquilizers helps relieve pain, but this type of medication very quickly causes drug dependence with withdrawal symptoms.

Sedatives that are not addictive: Afobazol, Atarax; alcohol tinctures of valerian, motherwort, Maryina root.

For severe attacks, a combination of drugs is used: Sirdalud 2 mg + Aspirin 500 mg or Analgin 250 mg + sedative.

The use of vitamin B complexes has proven itself. Vitamins B1, B6, B12 have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and restore the structure of nerve tissue. Vitamin complexes are usually prescribed: Neuromultivit, Milgamma, Neurovitan.

If attacks of pain recur more than ten times a month, a course of treatment with Ibuprofen at a dose of 400 mg per day for 2-3 weeks and treatment with muscle relaxants is prescribed for 2-4 weeks.

There is no single scheme for pain relief. Depending on the cause, an individual selection of medications is recommended for each patient.

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Treatment of chronic disease

Sometimes cephalalgia becomes chronic. The pain occurs every day, almost continuously, with varying degrees of intensity.

In this case, tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed for a long course of 2-6 months. They not only relieve pain, but also help normalize the psycho-vegetative state of the nervous system.

Most often, Amitriptyline is prescribed 10-100 mg/s, the dose is increased gradually. The drug relieves pain well, but has many negative side effects and is addictive.

As an alternative, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are prescribed: Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline. The course of treatment is at least two months. These drugs have less toxicity.

In addition to prescribing drug therapy, the doctor will definitely recommend a massage, a course of physiotherapy or acupuncture.

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First aid

A headache after a blow, if it was severe, is difficult to relieve only by taking painkillers. If a person has been seriously injured, he must be given first aid until specialists arrive. The reason is that the impact could cause a fracture, which, in turn, would injure the brain. And the faster medical assistance is provided, the easier the consequences will be.

In a situation where the victim is unconscious and has no pulse, it is necessary to perform a cardiac massage with artificial respiration. If there is a pulse, place him on his side so that if he vomits, he will not choke on the vomit.

The conscious patient should be laid down, unfastened the top buttons and not touched until the ambulance arrives. You should not try to sit the person down or lift their legs, as serious injuries may make them worse.

These recommendations are relevant for visible traumatic brain injuries. If we are talking about hematomas, abrasions, apply a cloth soaked in cold water or ice wrapped in it to the injured area. If a wound is bleeding, it is worth treating it with brilliant green and iodine so that infection does not get there. Apply a gauze napkin to the wound and bandage it.

If there are pieces of a foreign body sticking out in the head, you cannot remove them yourself, as you can disrupt the structure of the brain, which will lead to serious complications. In this case, a cotton pad with gauze is placed around the protruding fragment to stop the bleeding. Upon arrival of the ambulance, transport the victim only in a supine position.

Severe TBI

After a severe head injury (severe brain contusion, open skull fracture), there can be very serious consequences that can completely change the life of the victim, or even lead to death. People often end up in a coma after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury.

Even in cases where a person is preserved to live a meaningful life with the help of professional medical intervention, there may not be a complete recovery from this injury. Severe TBI can have very significant complications and consequences:

• memory losses;
• loss of vision;
• hearing and speech loss;
• breathing problems;
• failure of the heartbeat;
• loss of sensation;
• frequent attacks of paroxysm;
• epilepsy attacks.

When should you see a doctor?

You should seek help if the headache after a blow does not go away for a long time and is accompanied by additional unpleasant symptoms. Even if we are talking about an ordinary bruise, you should not neglect it.

Signs of a concussion may not appear immediately, but over the next two hours. Lack of help and refusal to go to the hospital will lead to complications, where the most dangerous outcome is the death of the patient.

Treatment

The therapeutic approach in each case will be different, since there are also many causes of cephalalgia due to trauma. In addition to targeting the elimination of painful sensations in the head, therapy involves the weakening of secondary symptoms.

If you have a headache after a blow, medications are often used to:

• restoration of blood vessel tone;
• normalization of blood flow;
• stopping blood;
• eliminating the inflammatory, infectious process;
• lowering blood pressure levels;
• pain relief.

In addition to medicinal solutions to the problem, the victim must be provided with rest. It is also not prohibited to use alternative medicine options. To relieve headaches. Use cabbage or potato juice. But, despite their apparent harmlessness, you should consult a doctor before use.

In some cases, treatment cannot be done without surgery. For example, an open head injury indicates a rupture of the hard shell, which performs a protective function. The operation will help eliminate this defect and save you from death.

Why is a headache after a blow dangerous?

If you do not provide first aid and do not go to the hospital, the patient will face serious complications. They concern not only increased symptoms, but also organic disorders.

Therefore, if you have a headache after a blow, you should not ignore the manifestations of your body, otherwise the following is possible:

• disturbance in perception;
• absentmindedness;
• feeling of tightness in the head;
• decreased efficiency;
• frequent migraines;
• mental deviations.

After injury, swelling and bleeding occur, which contribute to the development of paralysis. The most severe consequence after trauma is falling into a coma or death. The second occurs in the case of severe and profuse bleeding in the brain, which leads to disruption of body systems such as the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Painful sensations after trauma indicate possible disorders. Depending on its severity, treatment is selected that will be aimed at eliminating the consequences of the blow, as well as improving well-being.