Brain injury

Complications of a severe head injury

Severe head injuries can cause serious complications. This is mainly because a serious injury to the head can potentially damage the brain, sometimes permanently.

In particularly severe cases, a serious head injury can result in death. This is why your condition will be closely monitored when you are admitted to hospital. This will allow any complications that arise to be dealt with promptly and effectively.

Infection

If your skull is fractured during a head injury, your risk of developing an infection may be increased. Skull fractures can occasionally tear the membrane (the thin layer of cells) that surrounds the brain. If this happens, bacteria can enter the wound and cause an infection.

It is important to keep any external wounds on your head clean so they do not become infected. You may be prescribed antibiotics (medicines to treat infections caused by bacteria).

Coma

A coma is where you are unconscious and unresponsive for a long time. Some people who have a severe head injury may enter a coma. Most comas only last a few days or weeks, but they can last years.

Many people recover from comas. However, in some severe cases, the patient never regains consciousness, or goes into a vegetative state (see below).

Vegetative state

A person in a vegetative state may seem awake and may show some limited physical response, but they have no awareness of their surroundings. They may be able to breathe or eat on their own, but they cannot speak or understand what is said to them.

Headway, the brain injury charity, estimates that at any one time in the UK, there are around 100 people in a vegetative state.

Brain injury

A severe head injury can damage the brain in several ways. For example, a blood clot may form and put pressure on the brain. This can lead to a variety of complications. Some types of brain injury are only temporary, whereas others result in permanent damage. The effect of any brain injury will depend on:

  • where on the head the injury occurs
  • the type of injury, for example if the skull is fractured
  • the severity of the injury, for example if it requires surgery

The different effects of a brain injury are described below.

Physical effects

Physical effects of a brain injury can include difficulty moving or keeping your balance and loss of co-ordination. You may also experience headaches or increased tiredness. 

Hormonal effects

Some head injuries can damage the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland in the centre of the head. It hangs below the brain and produces hormones (powerful chemicals that have a wide range of effects on the body). If the pituitary gland is damaged, it may lead to the low production of hormones.

Sensory effects

Your senses may be affected by a head injury. For example, you may lose your sense of taste or smell. You may also notice blind spots in your vision or you may not be able to control your body temperature as well as before, so that you feel too hot or too cold.

Cognitive effects

Following a head injury, your ability to think, process information and solve problems may be affected. You may also experience memory problems, particularly with your short-term memory, and have difficulty with speech and communication skills.

Emotional or behavioural effects

After a severe head injury, you may experience changes to your feelings and behaviour. For example, you may have feelings of irritation, anger or selfishness.

You may be less sensitive to other people’s feelings, or lose your inhibitions and behave in a way other people may not consider appropriate. You may also laugh or cry more than you did before the injury.

Getting support

As everyone’s brain injury will be different, it is a good idea to seek further information about the possible effects and rehabilitation techniques. A number of charities and organisations may be able to help including:



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