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How Are Head Injuries And Seizures Treated ?

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Posted on Tue, 17 Apr 2012
Question: My son is 15 and had a fall and hit hhis head on pavement. He had a seizure. He was taken to the hospital and was given a CT scan and blood tests. The tests showed nothing abnormal. The fall happened 14 hours ago, he has been sleeping since he got home form the hodpital we wake him hourly and ask him questions, his responses are slow but accurate. He continues to vomit. Is it possible they missed something at the ER? Could problems have ocurred after the ct scan? Dont know if I should take him back to ER? ER doctor advised us to take him home after reviewing tests and told us to see his pediatrician.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Deepak Anvekar (2 hours later)
Hello ,

Thanks for the query,

The signs and symptoms mentioned in the history indicate that your son might have had a concussion due to the head injury.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that may result in a bad headache, altered levels of alertness, or unconsciousness. It temporarily interferes with the way the brain works, and it can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination, and sleep patterns.

Since the CT is normal, there should be no worry about it. The CT is usually done to look for evidence of bleeding under the skull or within the brain tissue itself. Since there is no such thing, He is safe.

It is common for concussion patients to have persistant issues during the recovery time. While recovering from a concussion, a person may:

1. Be withdrawn, easily upset, Sleepy or confused
2. Have a hard time with tasks that require remembering or concentrating
3. Have mild headaches, Nausea and sometimes vomiting.
4. Be less tolerant of noise


In your sons case, you need not worry. He will soon recover with time. He just needs some days of rest and relaxation.

Symptomatic Treatment for this current condition should include :
1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for a headache. Do NOT use aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen, or similar drugs.

2. Eating a light diet.

3. Avoiding exercise, weight lifting, or heavy activities. Light activity around the home is okay. He does not need to stay in bed.

In case his symptoms do not go away or are not improving after 2 or 3 weeks, consulting a doctor might be important. talk to your doctor.

You might keep a look out for the following symptoms:
1. Changes in behavior or unusual behavior
2. Changes in speech (slurred, difficult to understand, does not make sense)
3. Difficulty waking up or becoming more sleepy
4. Double vision or blurred vision
5. Fever
6. Fluid or blood leaking from the nose or ears
7. Headache that is getting worse, lasts a long time, or does not get better with over-the-counter pain relievers
8. Problems walking or talking
9. Recurrance of Seizures
10. Vomiting more than three times

In case he develops some of these symptoms, visit to the ER is must.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

Regards.

Dr Anvekar.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Radhika
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Deepak Anvekar

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2003

Answered : 336 Questions

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How Are Head Injuries And Seizures Treated ?

Hello ,

Thanks for the query,

The signs and symptoms mentioned in the history indicate that your son might have had a concussion due to the head injury.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that may result in a bad headache, altered levels of alertness, or unconsciousness. It temporarily interferes with the way the brain works, and it can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination, and sleep patterns.

Since the CT is normal, there should be no worry about it. The CT is usually done to look for evidence of bleeding under the skull or within the brain tissue itself. Since there is no such thing, He is safe.

It is common for concussion patients to have persistant issues during the recovery time. While recovering from a concussion, a person may:

1. Be withdrawn, easily upset, Sleepy or confused
2. Have a hard time with tasks that require remembering or concentrating
3. Have mild headaches, Nausea and sometimes vomiting.
4. Be less tolerant of noise


In your sons case, you need not worry. He will soon recover with time. He just needs some days of rest and relaxation.

Symptomatic Treatment for this current condition should include :
1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for a headache. Do NOT use aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen, or similar drugs.

2. Eating a light diet.

3. Avoiding exercise, weight lifting, or heavy activities. Light activity around the home is okay. He does not need to stay in bed.

In case his symptoms do not go away or are not improving after 2 or 3 weeks, consulting a doctor might be important. talk to your doctor.

You might keep a look out for the following symptoms:
1. Changes in behavior or unusual behavior
2. Changes in speech (slurred, difficult to understand, does not make sense)
3. Difficulty waking up or becoming more sleepy
4. Double vision or blurred vision
5. Fever
6. Fluid or blood leaking from the nose or ears
7. Headache that is getting worse, lasts a long time, or does not get better with over-the-counter pain relievers
8. Problems walking or talking
9. Recurrance of Seizures
10. Vomiting more than three times

In case he develops some of these symptoms, visit to the ER is must.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

Regards.

Dr Anvekar.