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Suggest Treatment For Knot On Head And Dizziness After Head Injury
Question: I hit my head moving furniture. I had a knot and was dizzy but didnt lose consciousness. Symptoms: headaches, lethargy, dizziness at times. Should i go to ER?
The area i hit was just to the side of my forehead, about an inch above the eyebrow. It is still tender to touch and has a small lump the size of a bb .
The area i hit was just to the side of my forehead, about an inch above the eyebrow. It is still tender to touch and has a small lump the size of a bb .
Brief Answer:
Brain injury unlikely, but if lethargic and headache persists go to ER
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Judging by the type of hit that you took it would be really unlikely for you to have brain trauma which would warrant emergent evaluation. The lump which is on the outside of the skull does not indicate any injury to the brain which is located in the inside.
It is also unclear how much time has passed since the hit. If over 24 hours there is again little likelihood of brain trauma.
An exception might be the elderly or people having conditions affecting blood clotting, in that case a higher level of suspicion is needed, but you are a young individual and you do not mention any other conditions, so not your case.
So because of the above reasons and the lack of any focal brain injury signs (vision issues, weakness of the limbs on one side, seizures etc) I do not think it likely to have a brain injury.
However though, since you mention persisting headache and in particular lethargy, if these symptoms are not subsiding and worsening, since they could also be a manifestation of brain damage an evaluation visit in the ER would be justified to make sure.
I hope you will feel better soon.
Brain injury unlikely, but if lethargic and headache persists go to ER
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Judging by the type of hit that you took it would be really unlikely for you to have brain trauma which would warrant emergent evaluation. The lump which is on the outside of the skull does not indicate any injury to the brain which is located in the inside.
It is also unclear how much time has passed since the hit. If over 24 hours there is again little likelihood of brain trauma.
An exception might be the elderly or people having conditions affecting blood clotting, in that case a higher level of suspicion is needed, but you are a young individual and you do not mention any other conditions, so not your case.
So because of the above reasons and the lack of any focal brain injury signs (vision issues, weakness of the limbs on one side, seizures etc) I do not think it likely to have a brain injury.
However though, since you mention persisting headache and in particular lethargy, if these symptoms are not subsiding and worsening, since they could also be a manifestation of brain damage an evaluation visit in the ER would be justified to make sure.
I hope you will feel better soon.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your response. I obtained the injury about a week ago. I have been very sleepy the last couple of days and concentration has been difficult at times. There is occasionally a slight tingling to the side of my face where I hit my head and sensitivity to light and sound. I don't feel as though the symptoms are worsening, but they are lingering. Is this normal and how long should they persist?
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for that additional info, time frame is very important with injuries.
In that case, since a week has passed I don't think a visit to the ER is necessary. After this time there is no risk of having sustained an injury which might require emergent imaging or some medical procedure.
Such symptoms such as headache, memory problems, difficulty thinking and concentrating are a common complaint in many people with mild head injury such as yours, even in the absence of any visible damage on brain imaging. It is thought to be due to the sudden stretch of the nerve cells with microscopic tears.
The length of time they persist can be very variable, from some days to several weeks, so it's hard to make an accurate prediction. At times they are kept alive by an added psychological component as well, so you should try to relax.
We do have reason to be optimistic in your case though, due to the seemingly small entity of the traumatic event, no sudden acceleration/deceleration of the head, so shouldn't be any sizable degree of tearing.
Hopefully you will be your old self very soon.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for that additional info, time frame is very important with injuries.
In that case, since a week has passed I don't think a visit to the ER is necessary. After this time there is no risk of having sustained an injury which might require emergent imaging or some medical procedure.
Such symptoms such as headache, memory problems, difficulty thinking and concentrating are a common complaint in many people with mild head injury such as yours, even in the absence of any visible damage on brain imaging. It is thought to be due to the sudden stretch of the nerve cells with microscopic tears.
The length of time they persist can be very variable, from some days to several weeks, so it's hard to make an accurate prediction. At times they are kept alive by an added psychological component as well, so you should try to relax.
We do have reason to be optimistic in your case though, due to the seemingly small entity of the traumatic event, no sudden acceleration/deceleration of the head, so shouldn't be any sizable degree of tearing.
Hopefully you will be your old self very soon.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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