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NHS Choices - Symptoms of a severe head injury

(03/04/2014)

If a severe head injury is not correctly treated, it can cause serious brain damage.

The signs of a severe head injury can include:

  • unconsciousness, either briefly or for a longer period of time
  • difficulty staying awake or still being sleepy several hours after the injury
  • clear fluid leaking from the nose or ears (this could be cerebrospinal fluid, which normally surrounds the brain)
  • bleeding from one or both ears
  • bruising behind one or both ears
  • any sign of skull damage or a penetrating head injury
  • difficulty speaking, such as slurred speech
  • difficulty understanding what people say
  • reading or writing problems
  • balance problems or difficulty walking
  • loss of power or sensation in part of the body, such as weakness or loss of feeling in an arm or leg
  • general weakness
  • vision problems, such as blurred or double vision
  • having a seizure or fit (when your body suddenly moves uncontrollably)
  • memory loss (amnesia), such as not being able to remember what happened before or after the injury
  • a persistent headache
  • vomiting since the injury
  • irritability or unusual behaviour

If any of these symptoms are present, particularly loss of consciousness (even just for a short time), immediately go to your local accident and emergency (A&E) department or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

You should also go to hospital if someone has injured their head and:

  • the injury was caused by a forceful blow to the head at speed (such as being hit by a car or falling one metre or more)
  • the person has had previous brain surgery
  • the person has had previous problems with uncontrollable bleeding or a blood clotting disorder, or is taking a drug that may cause bleeding problems (such as warfarin)
  • the person is intoxicated by drugs or alcohol
  • it is possible that the injury was not accidental, for example you deliberately hurt yourself or someone else hurt you on purpose

You should also call 999 for an ambulance if the person with the head injury is not breathing. Read more about first aid and what to do after an incident.