Your head serves as one of the most vulnerable points when you get into a car crash, which means issues like traumatic brain injury (TBI) surface often in cases like yours. TBIs can manifest in many ways and often spread a span of severity.
Among the more severe injuries, you have fractures of the skull. How can you identify the possibility of a skull fracture in order to get quick treatment?
First, it is important to understand that in the middle of handling any brain trauma of your own, you will likely not have the mental clarity to identify or handle it. Thus, it is crucial for multiple people riding in a vehicle to have first aid knowledge in case any end up incapacitated.
Physical symptoms
Merck Manual takes an in-depth look into the potential warning signs of a skull fracture. Many have both neurological and physical symptoms you can look for that will paint a clear picture of the damage. Physically speaking, you can look for bruising. This happens when blood inside the skull pools into the hollow areas of it, such as behind the ears or around the eyes.
You may even notice blood or clear fluid draining from the ears or nose. The clear fluid is cerebrospinal fluid, which exists in spaces within the cranium and can end up leaking if broken bone causes damage to said spaces. Blood can build up behind the ears, bursting the eardrum and leaking out.
Neurological symptoms
Neurologically, symptoms often show up swiftly and can include repeated vomiting, dizziness, partial or full paralysis and a profound confusion that can involve failure to identify surroundings. If you notice any such issues, it might indicate a skull fracture and demands immediate medical attention.