Attend Factsheet 1d:
What is a Minor Head Injury?
Minor head injuries are usually caused by falls, road crashes, assaults or sport accidents. Minor head injuries are also known as concussions, mild head injuries, or minor brain injuries. Minor head injury is usually defined as a loss of consciousness of less than fifteen minutes or post traumatic amnesia of less than one hour after injury.
Dos and Don’ts in the First Few Days after Injury
Do make sure you stay within reach of a telephone or medical help, have plenty of rest and avoid stressful situations, have a family member or friend monitor your condition, take painkillers like paracetamol for headaches. Don’t stay at home alone for 48 hours after leaving the hospital, drink alcohol until you feel better, take aspirin or sleeping tablets without talking to your doctor, return to work before you’re ready, play any contact sport until three weeks after the injury and you have spoken to your doctor, drive until you have spoken to your doctor.
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) can occur sometimes after a minor head injury. Usually the symptoms go away within a few days or weeks but on occasion they can stick around for months, but they will resolve themselves eventually.
Cognitive (thinking) symptoms
Memory Problems: Loss of memory can be very frustrating, you might be able to remember certain dates, but not where you put your keys. Use of calendars, stick on labels, cooking timers, specific assigned places, calendars on mobile phones, break down of information(makes it easier to remember) and plenty of sleep can all really help with memory. Difficulties with concentration: The ability to concentrate on things is often reduced after a minor head injury. There can be two factors that make it hard, either you cannot concentrate when there are distractions like television on in the background or your concentration span is reduced, which makes it hard to concentrate on one thing for long. The best way to deal with this is to start a task when feeling alert and fresh if you start to feel tired take a break, cut out background noise, try to carry out important tasks in quiet areas, do only one task at a time, and break down complicated tasks into smaller more manageable tasks. Problem with planning and organising: It can become difficult to plan and organise. It can be frustrating if these skills are needed for your job or everyday tasks like planning meals. The best thing you can do is, stick to a routine, consider doing part time hours if your job involves planning or organisation, stick to simple meal plans, make to do lists, set realistic goals for each day, use external aids like a mobile phone, use a diary, try to plan in a quiet area, get plenty of rest and do one task at a time.
Physical Symptoms
Sleep Problems People tend to need more sleep than usual after a minor head injury. It is important to get enough and maintain good sleep habits for your recovery. Lack of sleep usually leads to fatigue which can worsen many of the problems in concentrating, headaches and irritability. To maintain good sleep habits do: create a regular sleep routine, take power naps before 4pm, use an alarm clock to wake yourself up from naps, use your bed for only sleeping, develop rituals before bed to relax, get regular exposure to daylight and outdoors, exercise regularly, make your bedroom cool dark and quiet, avoid stress, and use relaxation techniques.
Fatigue is when simple actions may get you more exhausted faster than before. It is a good idea to set a daily routine, pace your workload, identify the triggers of your fatigue, build rest times into your day, don’t overdo it but gradually build up tasks over time.
Headaches are common after a minor head injury more common in the beginning. If the headaches are severe, persistent and not cured by ordinary painkillers it is important to return to the emergency department.
Dizziness, balance, and co-ordination problems Minor head injuries often lead to disruptions in the balance organ in the ears so it is common to feel the sensation of vertigo. It can take a few days or weeks for it to disappear entirely.
Visual Problems If you experience any blurred or double vision it is important that you return to the emergency department. You may have other impaired vision symptoms of a minor head injury like, photophobia (being sensitive to light) or loss of depth perception. These symptoms should clear up after a week or two. It is a good idea to avoid driving until then.
Hearing Problems After a minor brain injury you may find that you experience, mild deafness, sensitivity to loud noise, and Tinnitus (the perception of sound without external cause aka ringing in your ears). It is a good idea to avoid loud noisy situations, and see a doctor.
Communication Problems Another symptom of a minor head injury may be difficulties communicating. The best way to deal with this is to be patient, take time to find the right words, prepare what you want to say by thinking of key words, and explain to people that they need to be patient with you.
Changes to taste and smell there is no cure for this and recovery will happen spontaneously usually within the first three months. In the meantime the best way to deal with it is to, have a smoke alarm, have gas appliances regularly serviced, get a gas detector, eat or throw out food by its ‘use by date’ keep products like drinks, bleach cleaning chemicals and solvents clearly labelled, empty rubbish bins regularly, wash yourself, clothes and bed-sheets regularly, use deodorant, brush your teeth regularly, use mouth wash and dental floss.
Sexual Problems It is possible you will have no sexual urges after your minor head injury, or maybe you will experience the exact opposite. This symptom can last longer than other symptoms. It is important to talk to your partner about it. If you don’t have a partner it is important to discuss it with someone else because it can affect the way someone feels about themself which can lead to depression. There are specialists for this so it is a good idea to consult one.
Nausea In the first few days it is common to experience nausea, if it is severe or leads to vomiting get medical advice.
Emotional and Behavioural Symptoms
Irritability and anger It is possible that things that didn’t bother you before do after your minor head injury. It is possible for you to snap at your friends or lose your temper. It is best to try to manage it. Fatigue and lack of sleep can lead to irritability; make sure to get plenty of rest. Daily routines help make the causes of irritation become more easily recognisable. Exercise is a healthier way to let out anger. Relaxation techniques like meditation are very helpful. If you feel yourself starting to lose control it is a good idea to go to another quiet room and take deep breaths.
Depression and anxiety can be caused by many things after a minor head injury like tiredness, concentration problems, emotional control problems, symptoms lasting longer than expected, financial burdens, and family and relationship problems. The best ways to help yourself are to maintain good sleep habits, learn relaxation techniques, write down worries and work through them one at a time, think positively, talk through worries with family, friends or a support group.
Lack of insight after minor head injury a lot of people have trouble judging their own actions which may behave inappropriately without realising it. It is best to tell a person when they are acting inappropriately in a discrete and non-confrontational way.
Contact
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