Bhanu Garg in Health

Why Head Injury Causes Vomiting 2023 Updated

When your head collides with a hard surface, it may have a large impact on your entire body. Many of your bodily functions are controlled by your brain. Because your brain is protected within your skull, hurting your head can result in several symptoms.

Severe head injury symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. However, A single episode of vomiting is rarely a reason for worry. But more severe symptoms necessitate medical attention.

What is a head injury?

A head injury is defined as damage to the brain, skull, or scalp. This might include everything from a minor bump or bruise to severe brain damage. Brain injuries, skull fractures, and scalp wounds are all common head injuries. The consequences and treatments for a head injury vary widely depending on what caused it and how serious it is.

Head injuries can be classified into two parts:

Closed head injury – Any damage to the head that does not break the skull is considered a closed head injury.
Open head injury – An open (penetrating) head injury occurs when something penetrates your skull and scalp and enters your brain.

It might be difficult to determine the severity of a brain injury just by looking at it. Some mild head injuries bleed excessively, while others do not bleed at all. All brain injuries should be taken carefully and examined by a doctor.

Is vomiting after a head injury normal?

Yes, a concussion or brain injury can result in vomiting. Patients may feel short-term nausea due to an acute injury (mild TBI), or they may experience situational or permanent vomiting even after they have recovered from the initial brain injury.

Head injuries are diverse, and no two people’s symptom patterns are the same. Few individuals may experience memory problems, trouble concentrating, and fuzzy vision, whereas others may experience sleep disturbances, balance issues, vomiting, and headaches.

What Causes Vomiting After a Head Injury?

There are various potential reasons for vomiting due to a head injury. These are some examples:

Vestibular dysfunction – A damage to the brain or inner ear can create balance and dizziness issues, which in certain cases might lead to vomiting.
Migraines – Some head traumas result in severe headaches or migraines, leading to vomiting.
Skull Fracture – A skull fracture will also produce severe pain & discomfort, which may result in vomiting.

Hematoma – A hematoma is a dangerous collection of blood on the brain’s surface. Repeated vomiting is one of the symptoms of bleeding.

Although vomiting can indicate a hematoma, most hematomas are accompanied by many symptoms. Other symptoms of a hematoma include:

Consistently worsening headache
One dilated pupil
Weakness
Loss of consciousness
Slurred speech
Seizures

As a result, if a person vomits after a head injury but does not show any other symptoms, they do not have a hematoma. However, it is still advisable to get them examined by a doctor.

How Long Does nausea or Vomiting Last due to brain injury?

In certain cases, vomiting can occur several days or even weeks after a brain injury, depending on how serious the injury was. On the other hand, it should become less frequent as time goes on.
If the pain does not decrease after a few hours, you should consult a neurosurgeon immediately as some brain injuries might be fatal.
Violent, persistent vomiting immediately after a head injury is a more serious symptom than one or two vomiting incidents that occur over many hours apart.
If the individual cannot stop vomiting and is unable to keep any food or drinks down, take them to the nearest neurology hospital as soon as possible.

Treating Vomiting After Head Injury – After your doctor has diagnosed any major problems causing your vomiting, you can try several home treatments for nausea. These can assist you in reducing vomiting.

Take Deep Breaths – Deep, regulated breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This reduces vomiting and nausea.

Deep breathing can help lessen anxiety, which reduces nausea. Close your eyes and carefully inhale through your nose. Fill your lungs, then hold for three seconds. Finally, breathe slowly. Repeat till you feel better.

Acupressure – Acupressure helps to relieve nausea and vomiting. Acupressure is based on acupuncture, which employs particular pressure points on the body to relieve problems.
Ginger Root and Fluids – Staying hydrated is critical, especially if you’re vomiting regularly. Drink water carefully to avoid disturbing your stomach.

In addition to drinks, chewing on the ginger root can help relieve nausea.

Medications – Finally, several medications can help with nausea and vomiting. Different over-the-counter medications can aid you in reducing symptoms after a brain injury. If you require anything stronger, your doctor may prescribe anti-nausea medicine.

When to seek medical assistance –

Vomiting is a fairly common complication of a head injury. While occasional cases of vomiting do not generally indicate anything dangerous, vomiting has been linked to skull fractures and hematomas. As a result, if someone is vomiting after a head injury, the best approach is to get them checked by a doctor. A neurologist or neurosurgeon doctor may perform various scans and imaging tests to evaluate whether or not major damage has occurred.

You can consult the best neurologist at fortis medical Centre for serious brain injury diagnosis and treatment. At Credihealth, you can check the doctor list at the hospital and make an appointment with the doctor of your preferences.

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