Subdural Hematomas – All you need to know

• Have you fallen recently and injured your head?
• Is the head injury causing a severe headache?
• After the head injury, are you feeling confused?
• Are you feeling dizzy and weak after the injury?

If yes, then you might be having a subdural hematoma. Subdural hematoma (clot in the brain) is the accumulation of blood outside the brain. Head injury is the major cause of subdural hematoma. If you’ve fallen and injured your head, it is advisable to visit the best neurosurgeon in Mumbai, India immediately. 

Subdural hematoma causes heavy bleeding and adds pressure on the brain. Very high pressure inside the skull can be fatal and lead to coma or death.

But don’t worry! A subdural hematoma can be treated especially if it is not severe. There are a variety of treatment options available in India to treat a subdural hematoma.

But before we discuss the treatment options for subdural hematoma, first let us understand the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of subdural hematoma.

Head injury is the major cause of subdural hematoma. Subdural hematoma is also common in people suffering from a bleeding disorder and those who take blood thinners. 

Also, older people are at a higher risk to develop subdural hematoma as shrinkage of the brain makes the small veins more vulnerable to tearing. It is advisable to get immediate treatment for subdural hematoma from a neurosurgeon in India.

The symptoms of subdural hematoma depend on the rate of bleeding. Severe bleeding after a head injury can lead to death but in cases where subdural hematoma is not that severe and bleeding is less, symptoms appear much later.

The common symptoms of subdural hematoma are as follows-

• Pain in the head
• Feeling confused
• Change in behaviour
• Feeling dizzy
• Vomiting
• Feeling weak and drowsy
• Seizures

If you experience any of the above symptoms especially after a head injury, it is advisable to seek help from a neurosurgeon in India immediately.

Usually, CT scans and MRI scans are used to diagnose subdural hematoma. These tests help detect the presence of subdural hematoma by forming images of the inside of the skull. Angiography is another way to diagnose the presence of a subdural hematoma.

A catheter is introduced into an artery in the groin and put into the arteries of the neck and brain during angiography (angiogram). After that, a special dye is injected, and blood flow via the arteries and veins is visualized on an X-ray screen.

The treatment for subdural hematoma depends on its severity. Minor subdural hematoma needs no treatment. Mostly observation is what is required in case of minor subdural hematoma. Surgery is used to treat a severe subdural hematoma. Surgery helps to decrease the pressure on the brain.

Your neurosurgeon in India uses the below-mentioned techniques to treat subdural hematoma-

• Trephination of the burr hole-The blood is suctioned out through a hole created in the skull over the location of the subdural hematoma.
• Craniotomy- To have greater access to the subdural hematoma and relieve pressure, a larger piece of the skull is removed. Shortly after the treatment, the excised skull is replaced.
• Craniectomy– To allow the wounded brain to expand and swell without irreversible damage, a portion of the skull is removed for an extended period. Subdural hematoma is seldom treated by craniectomy.

Along with the above treatments, medications are also used to treat subdural hematoma and decrease the pressure in the brain.

It is advisable to get immediate treatment for a subdural hematoma. If you fall and injure your head, visit a neurosurgeon in India immediately. Delaying the treatment can make subdural hematoma worse and increase complications. 

Subdural hematoma is easy to treat if you are young. It is difficult to treat subdural hematoma in older people and the rate of bleeding is also very high.

Subdural hematoma is very fatal. It causes the accumulation of blood outside the brain and puts pressure on the brain. Severe pressure on the brain can lead to death. But don’t worry! Medical science has solutions for the most complex medical problems too. 

Yes, a subdural hematoma can be treated! There are a variety of treatment options available in India to treat a subdural hematoma. All you have to do is visit a neurosurgeon in India immediately and get subdural hematoma treated.