- Reference Number: HEY1012/2026
- Departments: Emergency Department
- Last Updated: 29 April 2026
Introduction
This advice sheet has been produced to give you information about head injuries in adult patients. It is not meant to replace discussion between you and your Doctor/Practitioner. If after reading it, you require further explanation please discuss this with the relevant person who has been caring for you.
Following your examination, we feel it is safe for you to be discharged from hospital. When you get home it is very unlikely that you will have any further problems. If any radiology imaging was required following your head injury, the healthcare team looking after you will have discussed the results with you, prior to making the decision to discharge you.
If you did not have a CT scan or it did not show any damage to the brain, but if any of the following symptoms return or develop, we advise that you return to the nearest Emergency Department as soon as possible:
- Become unconscious or experience confusion (not knowing where you are, getting things muddled up)
- Any drowsiness (feeling sleepy) that goes on for longer than 1 hour when you would normally be wide awake
- Difficulty waking up
- Develop abnormal eye signs e.g. one pupil bigger than the other, squint or double vision
- A severe headache, which is not relieved by rest or simple pain relief medication
- Vomiting more than once
- Have a fit
- Problems with walking, balance, understanding, speaking or writing
Things you should not worry about
After suffering from a head injury, you may experience some other symptoms which should disappear within 2 weeks. These include.
- Mild headache
- Feeling sick (without vomiting)
- Dizziness
- Irritability or bad temper
- Problems concentrating or problems with your memory
- Tiredness
- Lack of appetite
- Problems sleeping
If you feel concerned about any of these symptoms in the first few days after discharge, you should make an appointment to see your GP to talk about them. If you continue to experience symptoms, we recommend that you seek a doctor’s (GP) opinion about your ability to drive a vehicle or operative heavy machinery.
Things that will help you get better
Do make sure a responsible adult stays with you for at least 24 hours following your injury
For the next 48 hours:
- Have plenty of rest and avoid stressful situations
- Avoid reading, TV, loud music, computers, mobile phone use, electronic tablets, lots of visitors
- Continue to take your regular medications
- Take over the counter pain relief to relive any pain or headache (Paracetamol or ibuprofen)
- Do not take any alcohol until you have fully recovered
- Do not take any illegal drugs
- Do not play contact sports for at least 3 weeks
- Do not take sleeping pills, sedatives or tranquillisers unless prescribed by a doctor
- Do not return to normal studies or work activities until you feel you have completely recovered
- Do not return to sport until you feel you have completely recovered
- Do not drive a car, ride a motorbike, scooter or bicycle
- Do not operate heavy machinery unless you have completely recovered
Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this advice sheet, please do not hesitate to contact the Emergency Medicine Department.
