Danger Signs Children Take your child to the emergency department right away if the child has received a blow or jolt to the head and: Has any of the danger signs for adults listed on page 4 Wont stop crying Cant be consoled Wont nurse or eat Although you should contact your childs doctor if your child vomits more than once or twice, vomiting is more common in younger children and is less likely to be an urgent sign of danger than it is in an adult Getting Better "Sometimes the best thing you can do is just rest and then try again later. How fast people recover from brain injury varies from person to person. Although most people have a good recovery, how quickly they improve depends on many factors. These factors include how severe their concussion was, what part of the brain was injured, their age, and how healthy they were before the concussion. Rest is very important after a concussion because it helps the brain to heal. Youll need to be patient because healing takes time. Return to your daily activities, such as work or school, at your own pace. As the days go by, you can … Continue reading →

The thick, hard bones of the skull help protect the brain from injury. Also, the brain is surrounded by layers of tissue (meninges) containing cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions the brain. Consequently, most bumps and knocks on the head do not injure the brain. Head injuries that do not affect the brain are considered minor. Head injuries may cause brain injury (traumatic brain injury, or TBI). In the United States, about 13 in 10,000 people sustain minor head injury, and about 3 in 10,000 sustain severe head injury each year. In the United States, from 2002 to 2006, about 1.7 million civilians had TBI each year. About 1.4 million were treated and released from emergency departments. About 275,000 were hospitalized and discharged alive, and 52,000 died. TBI is responsible for about 33% of all deaths caused by injuries of any kind. About 5.3 million people have permanent disabilities due to head injury. About 25 to 33% of people in the United States who have a severe head injury die. About half of head injuries result from motor vehicle crashes, and head injuries occur in more than 70% of severe motor vehicle crashes. Other common causes are falls (especially in older adults … Continue reading →