If a child or adult experiences any of the following symptoms in the hours or days after the head injury, get them to the hospital or call 911:
- Severe headache or a headache that continues to get worse over time.
- Seizures or convulsions.
- Loss of consciousness (greater than 1 minute).
- Severe dizziness, loss of balance or problems with walking.
- Repeated vomiting (more than once).
- Increasing confusion, such as difficulty recognizing people or places.
- Clear, watery discharge from the nose or ears
- Bloody discharge from the ears.
- Numbness, weakness or tingling in arms or legs.
- Unusual, bizarre or irritable behavior.
- Slurred speech.
- Pupils that are bigger than normal or unequal in size.
- Extreme drowsiness, difficulty waking from sleep, or fainting.
Seek emergency care if your infant has any of these symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness.
- Vomiting.
- Seizures.
- Discharge or blood coming out of the nose or ears.
- Unable to open eyes on their own.
- Difficulty waking from sleep.
- Swelling of the soft spot; bruising, especially around the eyes or behind the ears; swelling of the head; skull fracture.