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Some hopeless romantics would say the heart is the most important organ in the body. What they do not realize is that the brain is also performing essential functions for our overall health. In fact, the brain is the control center of the body. So, enduring blunt force trauma to the head could really have an effect on different roles of the body.
Well, what others consider as number one may differ from the others. For instance, many can prioritize dental health, understanding how important it is to take care of your oral health if your bread and butter is public speaking. You also feel this way if your job has something to do with using your voice and mouth. Nevertheless, let us find out what traumatic brain injuries are and what problems these can cause in our bodies.
Blunt Force Trauma: Head Injury Overview
The rough force from any form of mishap might result in brain trauma. In a car collision, your head might impact the side window. After a bad fall, you could hit your head against the ground. A strike to the head might halt an assault.
Head injuries caused by blunt force can have catastrophic implications. You might be affected by the impact of a traumatic event for the rest of your life. Here are a few facts you should be aware of regarding the underlying causes of blunt force head trauma, as well as how they may influence your injuries and pain complaints.
Three Types of Head Trauma
Unfortunately, the head does not endure just one type of trauma. Anytime you encounter an accident that affects your head, you can experience mild or severe physical injuries as well as a head or brain injury.
Penetrating Brain Injuries
Penetrating head trauma occurs when an item enters your scalp or face. In extreme circumstances, the item may pierce your skull, causing severe brain damage.
Blunt Force Head Trauma
As mentioned earlier, a concussive head trauma occurs when the head is struck by a push that does not entail penetration. You and your doctor would not observe any wound on your head, but a bump and bruising may surface and become noticeable.
Pressure Brain Injuries
A blast injury can result in a pressure difference, which can harm the head and brain. Eardrums can burst, blood vessels can rip, and the brain can enlarge as a result of the strain.
All these types can cause short-lived or serious brain injury, depending on the level of impact and the type of accident. If you need to have a dentist check on your teeth and gums after head trauma, book an appointment at Grange Dental Care’s clinic or any dental office near you to make sure you have your mouth intact and uninjured.
Causes of Blunt Force Trauma
Motor Vehicle Accidents
One of the most common causes of blunt force head injuries in car accidents. Almost all transportation-related deaths are caused by blunt impact trauma, particularly to the brain or head. Accidents involving automobiles, motorbikes, and trucks are included.
When a person is propelled forward after an accident, this type of injury is common. They frequently strike their heads on the driving wheel or the dashboard. They might even be thrown off the automobile or motorcycle and crash on their heads.
Falls
One of the major causes of blunt force head injuries involves slips and fall mishaps. These might be multiple-storey falls, but they can also be as simple as tumbling from your couch and banging your head on anything. If you fall and hit your mouth, make sure to see your dentist as soon as possible to check on your teeth, gums, and lips. This is different from the constant reminder to visit your dentist at least twice a year for wellness checks.
The severity of the damage is not only determined by the power of the fall. Other considerations are the location of your head strike and the angle at which you landed. Spinal cord injury also takes a special place when it comes to triaging your injuries. Since blunt trauma does not implicate wounds, severe injury may not seem noticeable immediately.
Physical Assaults
Physical violence is another prevalent reason. When dealing with personal aggression or domestic abuse, police officers frequently observe this. There are fewer traumatic brain injuries and more harm to the head and neck in these incidents. You can have gunshot wounds, punctures from knife fights, or bruises from fistfights, and they all require medical attention.
According to a 2016 research by forensic specialists, injuries to the ear and neck often suggest that a crime has occurred. Injuries to the soft-tissue areas of the face, such as the face and jaw, were more likely to be the result of criminal or family violence. You can file for a physical injury claim with these injuries.
Sports Injuries
Last, but definitely not least, sports-related head trauma is a common cause of blunt force trauma to the head. Sports-related injuries account for almost 20% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in American children and teens.
In the realm of professional football, this topic has been receiving public attention. Players who are frequently smacked in the head suffer from concussions. They may potentially acquire CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) later in life, which is a more dangerous illness. Over time, this damage causes alterations in the brain’s structure and function. We recommend wearing a mouthguard to prevent this issue.
Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Injuries from abrasive force can cause skin wounds, shattered bones, and brain damage, making them foreseeable outcomes of head trauma. Let’s look at each of these areas in more detail.
Injuries to the skin
Bumps and scrapes on the face are examples of superficial injuries. The majority of surface injuries heal on their own. Your cuts, on the other hand, may require sutures or perhaps reconstructive surgery in the event of a catastrophic accident. Minor injuries can leave scars or cause deformity in the long run.
Bone fractures
Bones of the face, such as the cheekbones, nose, teeth, and jaw, can be broken by head injuries. Although these bones should mend, the cracks, like skull fractures and skull indentations, may alter your look forever.
Damaged facial bones can potentially leave you unable for a long time. A damaged eye socket, for example, might impair your eyesight. A fractured jaw or cheekbone, on the other hand, might result in a temporomandibular joint issue.
A skull fracture can result in significant brain damage. A blow to the head that is forceful enough to break the skull would almost certainly harm the brain. Bone fragments from head trauma can press into the brain, causing traumatic injuries.
Mild/Severe traumatic brain injury
You can have a head injury that can cause many serious effects, including:
- concussion (instant blow that causes increased blood pressure to the brain)
- hematoma (blood clot formation on different laters of the brain)
- contusion (bruising of the head and brain)
- shaking of the brain (can cause brain tissue damage without any bleeding)
Whether you experience a serious or mild traumatic brain injury, you must remember to contact your doctor for proper medical treatment and attention.
References:
Traumatic Brain Injury.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557
Blunt Force Head trauma
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430770/
Head injury
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/head-injuries-causes-and-treatments#1
Head Injury.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/head-injury
Head injury.
