It happens all the time, we just don’t hear about it. Minor head injuries are often overlooked, referring to them as, just a bump on the head or a goose egg. Our children are riding their bikes without a helmet and fall over, two children’s heads collide, or we lift her head and hit the cupboard above. Who of us has not had one of these situations then just carried on like nothing ever happened?

Skull Anatomy

What most people do not realize is that the skull has these little lines where they attach to each other. They’re called suture lines. When someone falls, the force of their brain and the object they hit collide, that can cause multiple fractures to the skull. The brain that has had this violent shaking will often bleed. Of course, the amount of blood will depend on the severity of the injury. When the skull is intact you get much quicker evidence of a head injury, there’s no where for the blood to escape. When there is a skull fracture, the bleeding is no longer contained and can bleed for some time before detected.

Symptoms

Head injuries are difficult to detect at the best of times for trained clinicians looking for specific signs and symptoms. For the untrained and the emotional family member or friend, significant head injuries are often overlooked. Even worse, often the injured person does not realize the extent of the injury or denies having any signs or symptoms.

Approximately 165,000 people yearly, report a head injury in Canada. This equals 456 people a day or, one person injured every three minutes. Concussions are also considered head injury. In Ontario concussions have claimed the lives of many people and drastically changed others lifestyle. That is why in 2017 Rowan’s Law was passed. All persons suspected of having a possible head injury or concussion must be seen by a medical clinician to be able to continue play in any organized sports organization.

Head injury’s need to be taken seriously. These deaths are a stark reminder that people can die from head injuries. Use the resources available such as Telehealth, walk in clinics, hospitals or 911 if needed, to ensure everyone goes home at the end of the day.

Do you know what to do, in case of an emergency?

Kathryn Davies

President / Owner

Life’s Emergency Training

Statistics on brain injury in Canada (braininjurycanada.ca)