Getting hit on the head never feels good, but after an initial bit of discomfort, you might think that you can just go about your day like normal. While it's understandable to think that nothing serious is wrong, even a small amount of trauma done to your brain can cause serious repercussions. If you've hit your head, this is why you need to see a medical professional.

Checking for Concussion

One of the first things that need to be done following an injury to the head is to check for concussion. A concussion is an injury that occurs when the brain hits the wall of the skull. This can create problems like dizziness, abnormal vision, and in severe cases, even permanent brain damage. Thankfully, it's possible to treat concussions and limit how much damage they can do, but usually only when you get help right away. If you visit a medical clinic, they'll check your eyes, hearing, and track your vision to determine if you've had a concussion or not. If you have, they'll provide you with treatment options.

Examining Injuries and Treatment

Another thing the medical clinic will want to do is to check for additional injuries. Hitting your head often leads to injuries elsewhere, like the neck, shoulders, or back, or even elsewhere depending on how you sustained the injury. Sometimes these injuries go unnoticed, but they can potentially cause problems for you, especially if you have an open wound that's at risk of becoming infected.

Your doctor will examine your head for signs of injury and open wounds, and if they find any, they'll treat them. They'll also examine anywhere else that you may be experiencing pain.

Assessing Cause

Finally, it's a good idea to go to a medical clinic because they'll help you to figure out if there's a reason why you hit your head. While people can experience head injuries in events like car accidents, sometimes abnormal health can lead to people tripping, falling, or getting dizzy enough that they strike their head on something. By checking your vision, blood pressure, heart rate, and performing a few simple tests, the doctor can help to rule out problems like vertigo, stroke, or even seizures. If they have concerns that one of these problems may have caused your injury, they'll send you to a specialist or your general practitioner for additional care.

How you treat yourself after any injury is important. If your head has gotten hurt, don't leave it to chance. Get help from a medical center to ensure that you're in good shape. To learn more, contact a medical clinic.