Causes Of An Epidural Hematoma

An epidural hematoma is a severe medical condition with life-threatening effects on the brain. This condition typically occurs after injury or trauma to a person's head. Your brain might literally bounce against your skull, causing damage to its blood vessels, tissues, and lining, resulting in bleeding. A large mass made of blood will form in the place between your brain's protective covering and skull. An epidural hematoma increases the pressure on a person's brain, causing swelling. The swollen brain then shifts in the person's skull. Continued pressure and brain damage can affect all aspects of a person's life, from their physical well-being to their consciousness.

Physical Abuse or Attack

If a person is a victim of physical abuse, they might be at risk of developing an epidural hematoma. Physical trauma to the head can cause the brain to move around the skull, thus causing bleeding. It's important to note the brain is damaged before the epidural hematoma even forms. However, the hematoma has the potential to make the lasting consequences even worse by opening the victim up to more brain damage.

Victims of domestic violence have an increased risk of developing this medical condition. If you or a loved one has experienced head trauma as a result of domestic violence, you need to contact a medical professional. Besides continued physical abuse, a sudden violent attack can also result in a head injury and subsequently an epidural hematoma. It's all about a blow to the head.

Falls or Clumsiness

Another set of the most common causes of the hematoma are falls or clumsiness. Older adults and physically disabled individuals are at an increased risk of clumsiness or falling. If any individual experiences difficulty walking without falling over, they have a greater chance of experiencing the kind of head trauma that leads to an epidural hematoma.

Blood-thinning medications can also increase a person's risk factor of an epidural hematoma resulting from a fall, especially for the elderly. Frequently, elderly individuals will take blood thinners for medical conditions, and millions of individuals casually take blood thinners like ibuprofen to help with headaches and pain. If you had taken blood-thinning medication before you fell and hit your head, you have a higher chance of developing an epidural hematoma due to the fall, since your blood is more likely to amass in the space between your brain and skull.

Sporting Injuries

Athletes have a larger risk of developing an epidural hematoma since they are at a higher risk of injuries, including ones to the brain. When you experience head trauma as a result of sporting injuries, you open yourself up to potential complications. The effects of the hematoma can be devastating if the athlete attempts to return to the sporting event rather than being seen by a medical professional. Untreated hematomas can be fatal, especially when further rough contact aggravates the brain's swelling.

If an athlete experiences any head trauma, a medical professional should examine them as soon as possible. They should also refrain from partaking in more rigorous physical activity until they have been medically cleared. No sporting event is worth your life. It's tempting to shake off a hit and run back onto the field, but you need to take your physical health seriously. You can reduce your risk of head trauma during sports by wearing a helmet. Failing to wear a helmet when involved in contact activities can lead to dire consequences.

Car Accidents

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of head trauma. In many states in the United States, all accidents with injuries must be reported to the police and the DMV. It's important to be seen by a medical professional if you experienced any head trauma in a car accident. Many individuals believe their head trauma wasn't serious, especially when it occurs from hitting the head against a window or steering wheel. But the possibility of a traumatic brain injury, along with further complications down the line, make seeing a doctor imperative.

You can reduce your risk of an epidural hematoma through one simple act: wearing a seat belt correctly. Seat belts, when worn correctly, of course, save thousands of lives each year. If you crash your vehicle, hitting your head on the steering wheel should be the biggest problem you have. Being thrown from the crash increases your risk of death exponentially. Even if you survive, the trauma to your brain and body could change your life forever.

Work Accidents

Accidents at work lead to an increased risk of this medical condition. Work accidents account for a great deal of the injuries that doctors tend to each year. There are many professions in which a person might experience head trauma. A forklift operator may accidentally crash their machine. Other heavy machinery operators may have their head injured by the machines they use. Truck drivers risk having their cargo fall on them, while construction workers are constantly in danger of being hit by equipment.

The best way to mitigate this danger is through responsible workplace practices. If you're a construction worker, wear a hard hat and adhere to the rules of the construction site. Truck drivers should make sure their cargo is secure and intelligently packed, and heavy machinery operators should always abide by the rules of their trade. Many health and safety rules are put in place specifically to help avoid workplace injuries. It's a good idea to familiarize oneself with every aspect of job safety.