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What is a minor head injury? By Roseanne Hardy
What is a minor head injury?
Minor head injury is a temporary disruption of brain function caused by insult to the brain. The technical definition is either loss of consciousness for any brief period up to 15 minutes, or a loss of continuous memory for events after the injury for a period of up to one hour. However sometimes a minor head injury can occur with no loss of consciousness and no disruption to memory.
Is the head always struck in a minor head injury?
No. Although the head is often struck, as in a car accident, minor head injury can also occur as a result of a sudden violent motion - such as in whiplash.
Why minor head injury is called 'The Unseen Injury'?
Although physical recovery may be complete and the person may look fine, psychological problems in the area of thinking, behaviour and emotions may remain as a result to damage of nerve cells.
Does minor head injury always result in permanent damage?
No. Most people who suffer mild bumps to the head will recover quickly. They may experience only temporary symptoms which disappear with time. Only when sufficient nerve cells have been damaged - or there are repeated minor injuries, will people experience permanent changes in the way they think, feel and act.
What is the normal course of recovery after a minor head injury?
Although recovery may differ between individuals, many people may experience headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, disorientation and lethargic, immediately after the injury. Usually the events preceding the incident and those for sometime afterward are not remembered, even though the person may have been conscious for a majority of that time. All these symptoms are common after a minor head injury, and a person is said to be suffering from 'concussion' or 'post concussion syndrome'. Usually these symptoms will gradually disappear, although the recovery period may vary from a few days to as long as a few months.
When do more problems occur?
When a sufficient number of nerve cells have been damaged, certain symptoms may remain and interfere with a person’s life; at home, school, or in the work place.
How will I recognise these symptoms?
Often it is not until the injured person returns home, to school or to work, that they may say that they feel 'off' or that things are 'just not the same'. Memory problems are common, especially for new learning. The person may forget names, where things are kept, appointments etc. They may find that they have a shorter attention span, are easily distracted and experience difficulty in concentrating on more than one activity at a time. They may find it harder to concentrate, and reading may become mentally tiring. When speaking, they may find difficulty in expressing thoughts or to find the right words to do so concisely. They may think and respond more slowly, may not have the same insight and it may take more effort for them to do things they used to do automatically. Other problems may include difficulty in planning, organising setting and achieving realistic goals, or offending others by saying and doing thins that are out of character, and missing the subtle cues that indicate how others are reacting. Survivors often complain of not being able to achieve anything or not having motivation. It is often concerned friends and relatives who first notice these behavioural changes, commenting that the survivor is 'not the same' as before the injury.
What do these changes mean?
When these changes persist for many months after the injury, it means that substantial nerve cells have been damaged, thus affecting thought, emotion and behaviour. It also means that the person should seek help to learn to overcome or adapt to the changes that have occurred.
Will doctors find neurological damage?
Usually, but not necessarily. The nerve cell damage that occurs may be widespread, microscopic and may not appear on CAT, MRI scans or in neurological examinations. The patient’s problems may be real and caused by nerve cell damage, even if not medically obvious.
Will there be any psychological problems?
Very possibly. When a person finds they can no longer function as they used to and cannot understand why is it natural for them to become frustrated, sometimes depressed and to avoid situations where they might fail.
Most people recover fully from minor accidents, given time. When symptoms persist, seek help. Early evaluation and treatment can prevent many of the problems above. Whilst assessment is extensive, it is the best way to gain understanding of the nature of the problems remaining after injury, and to begin the process of adjusting and adapting.
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