As individuals age, they might be more likely to fall and hit their head, says Matthew E. Peters, an affiliate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medicine. That’s partly as a result of your energy, balance and reflexes could decline with age, in addition to with circumstances reminiscent of osteoporosis and arthritis.
The threat of a critical head harm can also be increased for older adults. One giant Israeli research, published in the journal Brain Injury in 2016, discovered that amongst all age teams, they have been the almost certainly to be hospitalized with TBI.
“As you age, the brain tends to stiffen and shrink, which means there’s more room inside the skull for it to move around,” Peters says. “That moving can tear blood vessels, which [with age] are more rigid and likely to tear.”
Some drugs may enhance the chance {that a} head harm will trigger bleeding within the mind. These embody blood thinners — generally prescribed to scale back the chance of a coronary heart assault or stroke — in addition to the common use of aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reminiscent of ibuprofen, says Matthew Robbins, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. Frequent or excessive alcohol consumption can increase the chance of bleeding as nicely, Robbins says, together with the chance of falling within the first place.
The first rule of thumb with a potential head harm: When doubtful, don’t hesitate to hunt assist.
If you’ve hit your head and are experiencing weak point, numbness, a lower in coordination, slurred speech, or elevated agitation or confusion, name 911 instantly or get somebody to name for you. Do the identical, Peters advises, should you develop a headache that’s both the worst you’ve ever had or that’s not relieved by acetaminophen. (Consult your physician earlier than taking an NSAID like ibuprofen after a head harm.) Other pink flags embody a change in pupil dimension (the black of your eyes), modifications in imaginative and prescient (reminiscent of blurriness or double imaginative and prescient), seizures or a lack of consciousness. People who maintain a cranium fracture may expertise delayed bleeding, which might “progress in very unpredictable ways minutes, hours, or days after a head injury,” Robbins says.
If you’re at a very excessive threat of a critical head harm — for one of many causes detailed above, for instance — you need to search emergency care after hitting your head even when your signs appear gentle, says Ula Hwang, an emergency drugs physician at Yale Medicine and professor at Yale’s School of Medicine.
In a non-emergency scenario — you hit your head on a cupboard however in any other case really feel regular and aren’t on blood thinners, for instance — it’s nonetheless sensible to verify in together with your physician. It’s additionally a very good observe to inform a cherished one should you’ve hit your head, even when it appears minor, as a result of the results of some head accidents can escalate in severity over time.
Simple changes to your property will help forestall accidents, specialists say. Here are 4 tips for a safer area.
- Remove hazards. Keep muddle off the ground and safe any rugs.
- Dress for stability. Wear secure, well-fitting sneakers, and use your cane or walker should you want one, Hwang says.
- Customize your area. Add railings to your bathtub, bathe and bathroom areas, and any stairways in your house.
- If you want extra assist, Peters suggests checking to see whether or not your insurance coverage coverage covers fall threat assessments, that are accomplished at dwelling by an occupational or bodily therapist.
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