Head injuries in first aid training

When you begin first aid training at Emcare, a leading training academy in South Africa with a range of training courses available, you will also learn about head injuries, how they occur, and what possible treatment options are available. Head injuries are fairly common and have occurred both on and off the sports fields for centuries, but only in the last 20 years or so are we starting to acknowledge the severity of head injuries, with films such as Concussion, starring Will Smith, paying ode to the severity of the injury. If you want to find out more about head injuries in relation to first aid training, and what symptoms to look out for, then give this quick guide a read!

Understanding head injuries in first aid training

Throughout your first aid training journey at Emcare, you will cover a range of differing injuries, but one of the main ones that people are eager to learn about is head injuries. This is because they are so incredibly common, and also because they have the potential to be severe because they involve the body’s most vital organ, the brain. Head injuries can occur in many different industries and aside from sports related head injuries, they often occur at the workplace due to falling objects or slipping, as well as in driving related injuries.

Most head injuries occur when the head comes into contact with an object at a significant speed, such as a fellow head on a sports field or a flying ball. And while some head injuries may be on the surface, and result in an “egg-head” (swollen and tender bump, sometimes bruised) and are halted by the strength of the skull, others impact the brain. This is because as an object hits the head, the force causes the brain to crash and move against the interior of the skull, which can damage different areas and cause brain damage.

Head injuries in sports

It’s no secret that the sports industry hasn’t exactly prioritised safety and it’s no secret that head injuries occur while playing sports all the time, with the two main culprits being Rugby and Football. The trick with head injuries, however, and arguably why they are often so easily overlooked, is because one can’t always see the damage from the injured individual’s physical appearance. It is said that when it comes to head injuries, physical signs such as scratches and minor bleeding, which can come across as quite gory, are usually the less severe injuries, and those with no immediate outer indications, may have a more sever internalised injury, which you will learn about in first aid training.

Another aspect about head injuries, is that each time someone experiences a head injury, the damage done is worse than before and that person’s risk for a brain injury or brain damage becomes higher. Once could see how this could become an issue in ball sports or contact sports, where players are continuously throwing each other around and literally bashing heads. Because of the adrenaline, and maybe the pressure to perform, players do not always report their injuries as they occur, and may not actually notice them until further symptoms develop over the next few days following the incident.

Although the primary sports leading to repetitive head injuries are rugby and football, another culprit has creeped onto the list, causing quite the stir as it involved children. Soccer, and some of the elements incorporated intro training, can be incredibly harmful for children, through heading the ball in practice. In first aid training, you will learn that repeatedly using your head to hit an object can have damaging effects on the brain and muscles, as the repeated movement, specifically in young people, disrupts the muscles and leads to electrical disturbances in the brain, as well as adverse effects on memory, all of which can severely damage their brains.

With the rise of medical research and knowledge on head injuries, there have been attempts to combat it, such as the Scottish Football Association banning children under 12 from heading the ball, and advocating for the use of a lighter and softer ball. The rise in research also revealed that football and dementia are closely linked, and that professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to experience dementia and other brain related illnesses. That is why it is so important to acknowledge the relationship between sports and head injuries, and to have measures in place that prevent these injuries from occurring, and that mitigate the impact that they have.

Women vs men and head injuries

In first aid training you will learn a vital rule, and that is that any first aid administered must be specific to the patient, and this means that you need to understand how the injury occurred, so that you can effectively treat it. When it comes to head injuries, Rugby is one of the main contributors, but it’s interesting to look at how differently head injuries impact women than they do men. Unlike many other contact sports, in Rugby, professional women teams play the exact same game as traditional all-male teams, with the exact same level of combat and violence.

Research conducted by Swansea University, in Wales, found that when head injuries occur to women in Rugby, they are more severe than those that occur to men, and women professional rugby players are therefore at a higher risk of getting a concussion. The research found that although men and women play the same game, their contact tactics are quite different, and while most head injuries in male games were a result of player-on-player impact, women’s injuries more often that not occurred when the head made impact with either the ground or a fellow player’s knee. A head injury caused by another head and a head injury caused by the ground are two different things and may require different treatment, which you will become familiar with through first aid training at Emcare.

What are some of the signs and symptoms of a head injury?

In first aid training, you will learn how to read and pick up on various symptoms, and the difference between signs of a minor head injury, and signs of a serious injury. If the individual has experienced a head injury and is showing symptoms of a severe head injury, you should immediately call on a medical professional or take the person to a hospital. Here are some symptoms and signs of a serious head injury:

• Unconsciousness: If the person is unconscious this is the first sign that something is seriously wrong, and you should call an ambulance.
• Pupils: If the pupils are an unequal or abnormal size.
• Abnormal breathing: Either rapid, intermittent or abnormally slow breathing.
• Obvious wound: If it is clear that there is a serious wound and lots of blood, or if you suspect a skull fracture, it is usually indicative of a serious head injury.
• Dizziness: Spinning, light-headed and dizziness for an extended period.
• Slurry speech
• Blurred vision
• Neck: Pain in the neck or a stiff neck.
• Bleeding: If the person is bleeding (or releasing a clear fluid) out of their mouth, ear, or nose.
• Seizure: If the person has a fit or seizure, identified by muscular convulsions and sometimes foaming at the mouth.
• Weakness: If the person feels unable to move their body at all.
• Vomiting: If the person has vomited more than two times after the incident.

First aid training: Head injuries in children

In first aid training you will learn that the symptoms for a serious head injury appear differently in children than they do in adults. For example, vomiting post injury is considered worrisome for adults, but children tend to vomit immediately after an injury because of the shock and pain, which may not always be a response to the actual severity of the injury. Children are bound to encounter some head related injuries at some point, and although some will result in a minor bruise and bump, others could be more severe. Here is what you can look out for in a child when it comes to serious head injuries:

• Unconscious: Much like adults, if a child is unconscious following an injury to the head you should immediately call an ambulance.
• Unusual crying: You know your child and you know when they’re actually crying vs crocodile tears. If they are crying intensely or more than usual it is a cause for concern. -Complaining: If a child experiences a head injury, listen to any complaints about neck pain or head pain and take them seriously. -Balance: If the child has trouble walking or staying upright you should take them to the doctor.

What first aid training do I apply after a head injury?

If an individual has experienced a head injury and is not unconscious and is not a child, and if you have first aid training, then here are some steps that you can follow to assist a person with a less severe head injury:

• Ice: Set a pack of cold ice or a frozen gel pack onto the head, and hold it there for at least 10 minutes, which will decrease swelling and inflammation.
• Dressing: If the head injury has resulted in any abrasions or wounds on the head then administer the required first aid.
• Monitor: The injured individual should now be closely monitored for the next 48 hours and should not be left alone. If in this period they start to exhibit any of the symptoms associated with a severe head injury, then one should call an ambulance.
• Sleeping issues: If the person is not showing any signs of a concussion and is alert and responsive, they will be able to sleep. But if the person is drowsy, confused, and disorientated, then it would be advised to keep them awake until medical personal can assist.

If the individual is unconscious or unresponsive following a head injury, then you should immediately call an ambulance. While you wait, you should check if the individual is breathing, and if so move them into the recovery position where their tongue can fall forward, while ensuring not to twist their spine or neck. If the unconscious person it not breathing, and if you have undergone CPR first aid training, then you should begin to administer CPR until the ambulance arrives.

Symptoms to look out for in sports:

For sports related injuries, there are a few symptoms that you can look out for that will indicate a concussion. If a player is experiencing any symptoms, they should immediately be taken off of the field. Here are some common symptoms seen in rugby and football related head injuries:

• Head pain or headache
• Nausea and vomiting (more than twice is more serious)
• Dizziness and blurry vision
• Drowsiness, fatigue and confusion
• Trouble concentrating and remembering things