This page will help you prepare and respond correctly to provide first aid for head injuries.
When Do Head Injuries Occur?
Head injuries occur when the head — including the skull and facial bones — is struck, which can affect the brain. The skull and facial bones protect the brain, so when a head injury occurs, the brain may be affected.
Causes of Head Injuries:
- Car accidents.
- Sports injuries.
- Falls from heights.
- Injuries at home.
Types of Head Injuries
- Concussion: One of the most common head injuries. It may cause fainting, loss of balance, headaches, and drowsiness, though these symptoms don’t always appear.
- Skull fracture.
- Head lacerations.
What Are the Symptoms of Head Injuries?
- Vomiting and severe headache.
- Vision or hearing difficulties/problems.
- Speech issues and loss of concentration.
- Drowsiness and difficulty staying awake.
- Dizziness and vertigo.
- Loss of balance.
- Memory loss.
- Bleeding from the nose or ears.
- Difficulty when swallowing and eating.
- Muscle weakness.
- Abnormal changes in eye movements.
How to Deal with Head Injuries
You should monitor the injured person, and if any of these symptoms appear, you should contact emergency services in your country:
- If the injury was caused by falling from a great height (more than one meter).
- Non-stop bleeding from the head or face.
- Persistent or worsening headache.
- High fever (which indicates the presence of an infection).
- If there is bleeding from the nose or ears.
- If the injured person loses consciousness.
- If the injured person is unresponsive (in a state of stupor and confusion).
- If the injured person is experiencing vision difficulties.
- If the injured person is experiencing memory difficulties.
- If the injured person vomits more than once.
- Check if the injured person has lost consciousness, check their airway, breathing, and pulse rate:
- If the person is breathing and their heart rate is normal, but they are unconscious, do not move them and wait for the ambulance.
- If the person is unconscious, not breathing, and their heart rate is abnormal, start CPR.
- If the injured person is bleeding, stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or gauze.
- If the injured person is bleeding and you suspect a skull fracture, do not apply pressure to the wound or touch the wound.
Emergency Numbers in the Gulf Region:
– Oman: 9999.
– Saudi Arabia: 997.
– Kuwait: 112.
– Qatar: 999.
– UAE: 998.
– Bahrain: 999.
– Yemen: 195.
