When veteran actor and comedian Bob Saget passed away on January 9, it came as sudden and shocking news to friends and fans the world over. And that devastation was just as sudden for his family , who have spent a month with no apparent answers as to how or why this tragedy befell them.
However, that has since appeared to change as on February 10, they confirmed that Saget’s death was a result of head trauma. It remains unclear as to how he came to hit his head, but authorities were able to identify internal bleeding around his brain, which they traced back to a large bruise at the back of his head.
And while this revelation provides at least some understanding into what was once a grim mystery, it also underscores just how easily a life-threatening head injury can be overlooked.
That’s why doctors are now sharing what should and shouldn’t be done after a serious blow to the head.
Before they shared their advice, emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen and neurosurgeon Dr. Joshua Marcus made it clear that neither of them had ever treated Saget.
Nonetheless, the fact — as reported by People — that authorities concluded Saget thought nothing of his injury and soon went to sleep was an immediate cause for concern for both doctors.
In Wen’s words, “If you have a substantial head injury, tell someone. Call your doctor if you’re particularly worried, but you should at least tell someone, and don’t be alone. That way, somebody can help to monitor you and make sure that you’re OK.”
RELATED STORIES
Wen said this is particularly true for older adults and those taking blood thinners, as both are at a higher risk for bleeding in the brain. Saget was 65 years old at the time of his passing.
As for Marcus, he explained some warning signs to look out for in the event that we hit our heads.
He said that it’s particularly concerning if a person loses consciousness soon after head trauma — even if it’s for a brief moment — or if they can’t remember the event or appear confused in general.
A new sense of nausea or vomiting are also concerning symptoms.
But as bad as those signs are, a person should immediately seek emergency medical attention if they develop feelings of weakness or numbness in the body, as well as any seizure-like activity.
As Marcus said, “You shouldn’t have any motor weakness, shouldn’t have real confusion, shouldn’t have language trouble.”
As for how long you and a friend need to monitor your symptoms after a head injury, Marcus recommended staying awake for two to three hours after the trauma occurs.
As he put it, “Within an hour or two, presumably, a bad head injury could progress and that’s what you’re trying to look out for.”
Based on his research into studies of athletes who suffered concussions, he considered it unlikely that concerning symptoms will appear after that three-hour period has elapsed.
That said, he’s not recommending that everyone treat each minor bump to their head as a potentially life-threatening event, but rather something to keep an eye on.
In Marcus’ words, “I think in the setting of hitting your head, it’s still pretty rare to have a severe head bleed from a head trauma.”
That’s especially true if the trauma comes from what he described as a “low mechanism of injury,” such as when we lose our balance while standing. But it’s a very different story if we hit our heads while driving, cycling, or skiing.
He also noted that it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm if lingering head pain after an injury persists for weeks, as long as that pain doesn’t get worse.
As he put it, “Symptoms can linger for weeks, sometimes even longer. Ongoing symptoms are not necessarily super concerning beyond the first few hours. But if symptoms are worsening, that’s another thing to really look out for.”
h/t: People