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Hit On Head, Dizziness, Swollen Temple Area, Pain In Jaw. CT Scan Needed?
Question: My husband was pitching batting practice to our 14 yr old son. he got a direct hit to the side of his head with a hit baseball. He did not lose conciousness, has not thrown up, did fell dizzy the next morning a little and his temple area is swollen and that side of his fasce is swollen,didn't notice that at first. it happened Mon. night and it is now wed at 10:46am. No memory loss, does have a dull pain on temple where hit, hurts whem he opens and shuts jaw, like when chewing he can do it but it is somewhat painful--do you think he still may need a CT scan?
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Head injury is defined as a change in mental or physical functioning due to a blow to the head.
A concussion is a mild head injury.
The factors associated with serious complications are : loss of consciousness, history of previous head injury, use of anticoagulants and alcohol because they increase the risk of bleeding in the skull and the type of injury.
The type of injury your husband sustained is the more common type and is less likely to cause severe injury compared to head trauma from assault or being struck by a falling object.
The absence of the loss of consciousness decreases the chances of significant injury.
Normally when assessing someone with a history of head injury we would look for some of the following: (1)decreased ability to smell , if this is associated with nasal discharge, it may indicate that there is leakage of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord
(2) problems with movement of the eyes in any direction, the person is asked to look to each side , up , down without moving the head. Problems with some movements may indicate that the pressure in the head is increasing-intracranial hypertension
The fact that the swelling has persisted may need that a CT may be necessary.
This is because there are certain criteria for which a CT scan is requested after head injury. A person must have one of the following:
(1)visible trauma above the clavicle- since the swelling is still obvious then the CT may be suggested by his doctor
(2) age over 60
(3) vomiting
(4)headache
(5) seizures
(6)alcohol or drug intoxication
(7)problems with memory
He may want to consider visiting his doctor for an assessment and referral for the CT.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Head injury is defined as a change in mental or physical functioning due to a blow to the head.
A concussion is a mild head injury.
The factors associated with serious complications are : loss of consciousness, history of previous head injury, use of anticoagulants and alcohol because they increase the risk of bleeding in the skull and the type of injury.
The type of injury your husband sustained is the more common type and is less likely to cause severe injury compared to head trauma from assault or being struck by a falling object.
The absence of the loss of consciousness decreases the chances of significant injury.
Normally when assessing someone with a history of head injury we would look for some of the following: (1)decreased ability to smell , if this is associated with nasal discharge, it may indicate that there is leakage of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord
(2) problems with movement of the eyes in any direction, the person is asked to look to each side , up , down without moving the head. Problems with some movements may indicate that the pressure in the head is increasing-intracranial hypertension
The fact that the swelling has persisted may need that a CT may be necessary.
This is because there are certain criteria for which a CT scan is requested after head injury. A person must have one of the following:
(1)visible trauma above the clavicle- since the swelling is still obvious then the CT may be suggested by his doctor
(2) age over 60
(3) vomiting
(4)headache
(5) seizures
(6)alcohol or drug intoxication
(7)problems with memory
He may want to consider visiting his doctor for an assessment and referral for the CT.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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