Beware: Head bumps could be serious

A bump in the head is something that should not be ignored.

Many people dismiss such incidents, even when the area that received a blow is painful. This is dangerous.

Google head trauma or head injury, and you're likely going to come across the death of American comedian Bob Saget. He died in January with no known disease or history of use of anything illegal. Later, his autopsy showed he suffered from head trauma that became cause of death.

I've had some nasty bumps, and a number of them hurt like hell. However, I think there was only one time when I suffered a mild concussion. I did fall down several steps of a rather steep staircase and banged my head on the sharp corner of a concrete door jamb.

Other than a large bump, there was no blood or crack on my skull. Just dizziness and slight nausea. I had to suffer through ice packs that magnify the pain a thousand times for like 20 minutes. But that helped tremendously, and the swelling was contained.

The thing with hitting your head is that you're not allowed to fall asleep, especially when you feel nauseous.

We must remember that a nasty bump from a bad fall or some accidental movement can lead to brain injury. Fractures, especially in the skull, can be hairline thin but may cause bleeding inside the brain. Tiny blood vessels in the brain can rupture from impact when you smack your head.

From basic anatomy classes, we know that the cranium is an enclosed space. If there is bleeding, blood will seek some exit and put pressure on the brain. It is that pressure that causes unconsciousness and eventually leads to death.

So why is it not advisable for someone who suffered head trauma and concussion to immediately fall asleep? It's really for monitoring purposes.

If they fall asleep and suffer a seizure or one side of their body weakens, no one will know. And this can worsen the condition, or it may be too late to seek medical attention.

However, if the person with head trauma is able to engage in a conversation and can move about with little difficulty, they may be allowed to fall asleep eventually, although staying awake for at least three hours after being injured is best.

One rule after suffering head trauma is to tell someone what happened and how you're feeling. Aside from nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, severe headache, or even symptoms similar to a stroke are indications that immediate medical attention is required.

Heading to the ER is necessary when a number of these symptoms present. Do not put it off for later because it may be too late to prevent the worsening of the condition, or result in death.

I cannot believe how many times I've hit my head somewhere in the past. A car door, table, bed, door, and worse someone whacking me out of anger or fun. Most have been unpleasant experiences.

So, I've learned to be careful and to protect my head, even from the rare smacking by hand, because I worry what could happen.

In the same manner, I get anxious and act quickly when someone in the house (or around me) hits their head and I was witness to the incident. Kids, especially, think it's nothing and just run away once the pain wears off. Most times, they won't even say they've hit or bumped their head and are surprised when they feel a lump which hurts even at the slightest touch.

Icing the injured spot is really a big help, not just to reduce the swelling but more importantly to help cut off blood supply and halt any bleeding, however slight it may be. It helps with the pain, too.

A blow to the head, regardless of how hard your cranium is, can still shake the brain and this is what causes severe injuries that makes one feel drowsy or nauseous.

Apply ice pack on the area for at least 20 minutes. It will make you tear up when the ice is exactly on the injured spot but is really helpful to start the healing process. You may need to put ice several times a day (every 6 to 8 hours) particularly with a nasty bump.

So the lesson to be learned here is: Never ignore head bumps. And try to be as careful as possible especially when there is risk of getting injured in that area.

Always protect your head.

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