Every head injury should be considered potentially life-threatening. That’s one of the key messages for this month’s Brain Injury Awareness Month, with a reported 3.6 million people in the US sustaining brain injuries each year. The recent tragic death of 65-year-old actor Bob Saget highlights just how serious any head injury can be. (The actor accidentally hit the back of his head, didn’t realize the severity, and went to sleep, as far too many people do).
The following are important warning signs to watch for:
- Headache that gets worse and does not go away
- Repeated nausea and/or vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation
- Convulsions or seizures
- Inability to wake up
- Enlarged pupil in one or both eyes
- Slurred speech
- Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
- Loss of coordination
Risk Factors:
- Being alone is extremely dangerous for anyone with a brain injury. Head injuries can cause one to lose touch with regular decision-making capabilities, which can stand in the way of getting help when it’s really needed. It’s crucial to never be left alone for the first 24 hours after a head injury and to ask someone to track your symptoms and wake you up occasionally throughout the night.
- Traumatic brain injuries can be overlooked or missed in older adults because symptoms often overlap with other common ailments, like dementia. People 75 and older account for roughly one-third of head trauma-related hospitalizations.
- Men have a higher risk for traumatic brain injuries than do women.
- Being on blood thinners after a heart attack or stroke can increase the risk of a head injury.
For information about care for individuals with traumatic brain injuries, contact ACCESS Nursing Services, www.accessnursing.com.
About ACCESS Nursing Services
ACCESS Nursing Services, founded in 1985, is a leading regional provider of healthcare personnel to individual patients, as well as prestigious healthcare systems throughout New York and New Jersey. With more than 2,000 private duty nurses; RNs, LPNs, Aides, and caregivers in five city-center offices and seven hospital-based offices, ACCESS Nursing also offers a top-level Private Duty Nursing service that provides private nursing care in the hospital and then home. For more information, www.accessnursing.com.
