Hyderabad: Injury to the head or brain due to an accident or any reason can sometimes cause very serious effects, so whether the injury is serious or normal, it should never be ignored. Every year on March 20, “World Head Injury Day” is observed all over the world to spread awareness among people about the serious dangers caused by head or brain injury, the impact they can have on the life of the victim, and the precautions that can be taken to prevent head injury.
Doctors worldwide say that due to sports or other physical activities, head injuries on the road or other accidents can be fatal for the victim. They may have to face disabilities or death due to head injuries. Any type of injury in the head or brain is called a head injury. Head injuries can range from minor scratches to cranial fractures, damage to parts of the brain, or bleeding or swelling inside the head due to an injury.
Significantly, due to this type of injury, many times the nerves and tissues of the victim's brain can be damaged, which can turn the injury into a serious one. Also, accidents can damage their optic nerves, which may sometimes result in permanent or temporary loss of sight to the victim, disability in any other way, loss of mental stability, dismemberment of any part of their body, or loss of their ability to work, stand, speak and think may be affected and their memory may also have memory loss. Apart from these, sometimes due to severe head injuries, the victim also dies.
There are generally two types of head or brain injuries. The first, in which there is a slight injury to the head due to falling or hitting the head with some other object, but there is no bleeding inside or outside the head, and no wounds are formed. And second, in which there may be serious problems like internal injury to the head, fracture and cracking of the skull bone, damage to the brain, and damage to the nerves associated with it due to an accident, during sports, or for any other reason.
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These injuries are commonly known as a hematoma, hemorrhage, concussion, edema, skull fracture, etc. These injuries can usually lead to very serious conditions. In addition to sports, motor, and vehicle-pedestrian accidents, falls, general violence and domestic violence, and falling on the head several times at young age, apart from sports, are also the reasons for which most of the cases of head injuries are detected.
According to government figures, about 80,000 people die every year in road accidents in the country, which is about 13 per cent of the deaths worldwide. At the same time, there is one death due to head injury every four minutes worldwide. This figure reaches one death every seven minutes in India. People generally ignore incidents like falling, hitting something, and getting a slight head injury. Generally, people think that only those head or brain injuries show serious effects caused by a major accident, which is incorrect.
Sometimes a slight injury to a very sensitive part of the head, or even a blow to the head, can cause severe damage to the head and brain. Therefore, World Head Injury Awareness Day allows for spreading awareness among the common people about the misconceptions related to head injury and the facts related to it. So that, without taking any head injury lightly, they can immediately consult a doctor, examine the head and take timely treatment if needed, so that the problem can be prevented before becoming serious.
By adopting precautions and habits in our daily life, we can reduce the risks of head injuries due to accidents or any other reason, and avoid the serious effects of these injuries. Some of these precautions are as follows:
- Always wear a seat belt while driving in the car. If there are too many small children travelling in the vehicle, use a child safety seat.
- Wear a helmet while riding a scooter, motorcycle, or any two-wheeler.
- Follow road safety rules while driving any vehicle and do not do rash driving.
- If there are elders in the house, then arrange for good lighting in the bathroom and supports in places such as the stairs when needed while standing, sitting, or walking.
- Never drive while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Be aware of the necessary safety rules for emergencies such as earthquakes or other natural calamities and follow them if needed.
- Whether a head injury is serious or mild, never take it lightly. Seek immediate medical attention, especially if fainting, confusion, or disorientation is experienced even after a minor injury.
