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Home » Consumer Information » Brain Injuries

Brain Injury Treatment

Head injury care at home

Any serious looking head injury should be tended to by an emergency medical staff as soon as possible. On the other hand, minor head injuries can be treated at home. Bleeding underneath the scalp and outside the skull will cause sizable bruises to form at the site of the injury. We also refer to these lumpy bruises as goose eggs. These will vanish by themselves, but applying ice to the bruise will reduce the overall swelling.

  • Do not allow the ice to directly touch the skin without any type of insulation. Icing sessions should last between 20 and 30 minutes and can be resumed every two to four hours if necessary. Icing beyond 24 hours after the incident will have little effect.
  • Wrap the ice in a thin washcloth before it is applied. As an alternative, you can use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in the washcloth. This will easily mold to the shape of the victim’s head.
  • You can construct a homemade ice pack using 1/3 cup of 70% isopropyl alcohol (preferably the green kind) mixed with 2/3 cup water in a zip-lock bag. Then, insert this bag into another to prevent the solution from seeping out. The mixture will become slushy, and you can then put it in the freezer for use at your convenience. Keep in mind that if there are young children in the home, you should keep tabs on them if they are using the ice pack because ingesting it is poisonous.
  • Commercial ice packs are composed of specially formulated chemicals that will become as cold as ice without a need for refrigeration. You can place these packs directly on the skin, but you may want to consider using a barrier if an open wound is present. Chemical-based ice packs must be discarded after one use.
  • If a person falls and...
    1. Receives a minor head injury after collapsing on a carpet or soft surface
    2. The height of the fall is less than the height of the person
    3. Doesn’t lose consciousness

    ...then a trip to the doctor is not necessary. Simply put ice on the injured area.

Emergency professional care
Depending on the severity and what type of head injury the victim has sustained, the kind of emergency medical assistance required to man the situation differs.

  • As long as there is someone to preside over the victim, minor head injuries can be treated at home.
    • A lot of rest, fluids, and a pain reliever containing the ingredient acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) will probably be prescribed. Additional pain and swelling relief can be accomplished by placing an ice pack on the injured region.
    • The pain associated with any scrapes can normally be numbed by way of injection. The exposed area will then be sanitized, and the physician will do a thorough search for foreign objects and any underlying injuries. If the gash is large enough, it will be closed with staples, stitches, or glue. If the victim has not received a tetanus shot in five to 10 years, one will be administered.
  • Someone who suffers a severe closed head injury, a potential brain injury, is typically admitted for professional observation and follow-up studies to determine if the condition is getting any worse.
    • Sometimes, a head injury may cause pressure buildup inside the skull. In this case, an intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor probe may be surgically placed into the brain through the skull to take pressure readings. If the pressure elevates too high, the only way out may be surgery to decompress the brain. This can be a risky procedure that may result in death.
    • The doctor may administer medication to avoid or treat seizures cause by the head injury. A seizure following a head injury may not need to be treated because they do not necessarily recur.
    • Antibiotics are not always prescribed with closed head injuries. Some physicians require antibiotics anytime there is a basilar skull fracture, but others do not see a need for this.
  • If the patient has suffered a closed head injury with bleeding inside the skull, the doctor must review a number of variables to decide upon the correct treatment. Some of these factors include the location of bleeding, harshness of the symptoms, any additional injuries, and the rate at which symptoms are progressing. Surgery may be the first option, but others include pressure monitors, drugs to prevent seizures, and antibiotics to thwart infection. Someone with this kind of injury may require a breathing tube keep their circumstances from worsening. An angiography procedure may be required.
  • Intruding head injuries usually require some surgical method to remove a foreign object or bring bleeding to a standstill. Other options include pressure monitors, drugs to prevent seizures, and antibiotics to thwart infection. Someone with this kind of injury may require a breathing tube keep their circumstances from worsening. An angiography procedure may be required.