Slip and fall incidents can occur anywhere, any time and in any weather. All it requires is an uneven or slippery surface and a lack of proper warning signs indicating that a problem is underfoot.
Unfortunately, slip and fall incidents can also result in some serious injuries. Fractures make up some of them, and this includes the possibility of a skull fracture.
Warning signs of skull fractures
Unfortunately, Merck Manual discusses exactly why fractured skulls pose such a health risk. Skull fractures can easily cause additional harm to the soft tissues of the brain. In a fracture, bone can easily end up dislodged from the skull and may pierce or cut into the brain tissue. The jagged edge of a fracture can do the same.
This can result in neurological symptoms which may indicate the presence of damage. Some examples include:
- Loss of control of one or all limbs
- Complete paralysis
- Seizures
- Repeated vomiting
- The inability to identify surroundings or people
If you notice these signs, you should help the victim seek immediate medical attention. Damage to the neural network in the brain can cause long-lasting repercussions that can impact every area of a victim’s life.
Potential long-term damages
Some affected areas include mobility, problem-solving, and the ability to regulate your emotions. Of course, you can also suffer other forms of brain injury in the same fall that fractured your skull. Concussive force like that will often result in the brain hitting the inside of the skull, which can cause bruising on the brain itself.
The brain may also swell and press against the skull, which can cause blood circulation to cut off. Likewise, this can contribute to cell death and the possibility of irreversible brain damage. This is why skull fractures and any other head injury should receive immediate medical care.