Does a head injury definitely cause paralysis?

A head injury in the medical world is defined as trauma to the head that can cause disturbances in brain function. This can happen if there is a blow, bump, or shock to the head from an external source. Various mechanisms, such as traffic accidents, falls from heights, fights, or sports injuries, can cause head injuries. Among the various injuries to body parts caused by trauma, head injuries are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. However, not all head injuries can be fatal. Based on severity, head injuries are divided into the following types: mild head injuries, moderate head injuries, and severe head injuries.

Several types of head injuries can cause short-term or temporary impairment of brain function, including thinking, communication, and movement. Meanwhile, severe head injuries can cause permanent disability and even death.

What are the symptoms that can be experienced if someone has a head injury? In general, the difference between mild, moderate, and severe head injuries is assessed according to a person's level of consciousness. In mild head injuries, the sufferer usually does not experience a loss of consciousness, and the symptoms felt by the sufferer can appear immediately after the trauma occurs or can appear several hours to several days after the trauma. Some of the symptoms that can be felt with mild head injuries are as follows: headache, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and balance disturbances may occur. These symptoms can get worse over a few days, but most people experience improvement within a few weeks. Even though they have a mild head injury, sufferers should recognize the danger signs to watch out for from minor head injuries, such as having headaches that get worse and don't go away with oral medication, experiencing weakness in limbs, numbness, loss of balance, or having seizures. Apart from that, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, or becoming unconscious are also signs of danger and must be taken to a health facility immediately.

Meanwhile, in moderate and severe head injuries, there is generally a disturbance of consciousness, or the patient immediately becomes unconscious after experiencing trauma. Accompanied by several other symptoms such as severe headaches, loss of vision, repeated and projectile vomiting, slurred speech, and seizures, people tend to be drowsy and difficult to wake up. In addition, severe head injuries can also cause thinking disorders such as difficulty concentrating, communication disorders, difficulty remembering information, limb weakness, and hearing and vision problems. In severe head injuries, it is also possible to have long-term effects on the sufferer, such as paralysis or disability, which makes the sufferer not independent in carrying out daily activities or requires ongoing rehabilitation. Based on data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, even though people with moderate and severe head injuries can survive, they will still experience the following problems: 57% experience moderate to severe disability, 55% cannot have a job due to disability, and 9x more susceptible to infection due to limited mobilization.

A head injury is a health problem that cannot be taken lightly because the symptoms and end results vary widely, ranging from mild to moderate to severe, and can cause paralysis or death. For this reason, if you or your closest relative experiences head trauma, immediately consult a neurosurgeon to get the right treatment.

Source :

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Report to Congress on traumatic brain injury in the United States: Epidemiology and rehabilitation pdf icon. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2015.

2. Corrigan JD, Cuthbert JP, Harrison-Felix C, et al. US population estimates of health and social outcomes 5 years after rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2014;29(6):E1-9.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health. Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury is a Lifelong Condition. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/Moderate_to_Severe_TBI_Lifelong-a.pdfpdf icon.

4. Goldman SM, Kamel F, Ross GW, et al. Head injury, alpha-synuclein Rep1, and Parkinson’s disease. Ann Neurol 2012;71:40–8.