Head injury is a trauma to the head, that may or may not include injury to the brain (see also brain injury). The incidence of head injury is 300 per 100 000 per year, with a mortality of 25/100 000 in North America and 9/100 000 in Britain. For other uses of the word head, see head (disambiguation). ... In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the supervisory center of the nervous system. ... Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ... The word Britain is used to refer to the United Kingdom (UK) the island of Great Britain, which consists of the countries of England, Scotland, and Wales sometimes the Roman province called Britain or Britannia The word British generally means belonging to or associated with Britain in one of the...

Common causes of head injury are motor vehicle accidents (traffic accidents), occupational accidents, home accidents, falls and attacks. A head injury may cause a skull fracture, brain hemorrhage or a hematoma between the skull and the brain (subdural, subarachnoid or extradural hematoma). Common symptoms are loss of consciousness, drowsiness, double vision, seizures and headache. A fluid drainage from nose, mouth or ear is strongly indicative of the tearing of sheaths surrounding the brain, and can lead to secondary brain infection. A car accident in Yate, near Bristol, England, in July 2004. ... In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the supervisory center of the nervous system. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... A hematoma, or haematoma, is a collection of blood, generally the result of hemorrhage. ... For symbolic or mythic uses of the human skull, see Skull (symbolism). ... This article is about the medical condition. ... A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Human nose Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for respiration. ... The mouth, also known as the buccal cavity or the oral cavity, is the opening through which an animal or human takes in food. ... For an alternative meaning, see ear (botany). ... Infection is also the title of an episode of the television series Babylon 5; see Infection (Babylon 5). ...

Especially in case of an extradural haematoma, symptoms may worsen after a temporary incline in general health. Typically it results from a blow to the side of the head. Patients are momentarily dazed or knocked out, followed by a period of relative lucidity which can last minutes or hours. Thereafter there is rapid decline as the blood collects, causing pressure on the brain. So, even if the patient is conscious, any head trauma should be regarded as a medical emergency. In case of a head trauma and loss of consciousness, first the person’s airway, breathing and circulation should be controlled (ABC of medical emergency) and then the head and neck should be stabilized and kept in line with the spinal cord. Attempts should be made to stop any bleeding by firmly pressing a clean cloth (if the bleeding wound is on a suspected skull fracture no pressure should be applied). The injured person should be evaluated with the Glasgow Coma Scale immediately after the injury, and at regular intervals if desired. This would aid in diagnosing the patient as having mild, moderate, or severe head injury. The spinal cord is a part of the vertebrate nervous system that is enclosed in and protected by the vertebral column (it passes through the spinal canal). ... The Glasgow Coma Scale (also known as Glasgow Coma Score or simply GCS) was devised by doctors to assess head trauma and, importantly, to help keep track of patients progress over a period of time. ...

Even people with slight head injuries, with no apparent signs or complaints, should be observed cautiously. During the first 24 hours after the incident, an observer can wake the victim every 2-3 hours and ask specific questions (e.g. his/her address or occupation, or today's date). In case of vomiting, drowsiness, personality change or severe headache, the victim should be transferred to a medical emergency unit. Mild headache and slight dizziness after a head injury is expected and does not necessarily require medical aid, if these symptoms do not persist.

Continuous head injuries (caused e.g. by boxing or other contact sports) can lead to a kind of dementia called Punch-drunk syndrome or to a Parkinson's Disease-like syndrome (dementia pugilistica) in the long run. A severe injury may lead to a coma, and eventually, death. Dementia (from Latin demens) is progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. ... Parkinsons disease (PD; paralysis agitans) is a neurodegenerative disease of the substantia nigra (an area in the basal ganglia of the brain). ... For other meanings of the word coma, especially in astronomy, see coma (disambiguation) In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness, which may result from a variety of conditions including intoxication (drug, alcohol or toxins), metabolic abnormalities (hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, etc. ... Death is either the cessation of life in a living organism or the state of the organism after that event. ...

A closed (non-missile) head injury occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, but the object does not break through the skull. For other uses of the word head, see head (disambiguation). ... For symbolic or mythic uses of the human skull, see Skull (symbolism). ...

A penetrating (missile) head injury occurs when an object pierces the skull and enters the brain tissue. For symbolic or mythic uses of the human skull, see Skull (symbolism). ... In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the supervisory center of the nervous system. ...