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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of an intracranial hematoma may be evident immediately after a blow to your head, or they may take several weeks or longer to appear. You may seem fine after a head injury, a period called the lucid interval. However, with time, pressure on your brain increases, producing some or all of the following signs and symptoms:
- Increasing headache
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness and progressive loss of consciousness
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Unequal pupil size
- Weak limbs on one side of your body
- Increased blood pressure
As more and more blood fills your brain or the narrow space between your brain and skull, other signs and symptoms may become apparent, such as:
- Lethargy
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
When to see a doctor
An intracranial hematoma can be life-threatening. Emergency medical treatment often is necessary.
Seek immediate medical attention after any significant blow to the head in which:
- You lose consciousness
- You experience any of the signs and symptoms that may indicate an intracranial hematoma
Although symptoms of intracranial hematoma may not be immediately apparent, watch closely for subsequent physical, mental and emotional changes. For example, if someone seemed fine after a blow to the head and could talk, but then lapsed into unconsciousness, seek immediate medical care.
In addition, even if you feel fine, tell someone you've experienced head trauma and ask him or her to keep an eye on you. Memory loss often is associated with head trauma, so you may forget that you had a blow to the head. An alerted friend, family member or work colleague may be more likely to recognize the warning signs and arrange for prompt medical attention.
- Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/detail_tbi.htm. Accessed April 3, 2011.
- Traumatic brain injury. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec21/ch310/ch310a.html#S21_CH310_T001. Accessed April 3, 2011.
- Smith ML, et al. Neurosurgery. In: Brunicardi FC, et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5020575. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- McBride W, et al. Intracranial epidural hematoma in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/index/home.html. Accessed March 22, 2011.
- Le TH, et al. Neuroimaging of traumatic brain injury. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine. 2009;76:145.
- Moulton RJ, et al. Head injury and intracranial hypertension. In: Hall JB, et al. Principles of Critical Care. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2297849. Accessed April 5, 2011.
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