There is a membrane called "Dura" under the skull bone that protects the brain.
If there is bleeding between the skull bone and the Dura (above the Dura), this is called Epidural Bleeding. If bleeding occurs under the dura, it is called Subdural Bleeding. Epidural and Subdural Bleeding occur after head trauma.
Epidural Bleeding usually occurs after severe head trauma and if there is a fracture in the skull bone. Since this fracture injures a vein, bleeding-clot occurs in the epidural area. If this clot is a large clot, it puts pressure on the brain and causes symptoms such as weakness, epileptic seizures, and loss of consciousness in the patient.
Subdural Bleeding, as mentioned before, are bleeding that occurs under the Dura. There are types such as chronic and acute. Subdural Hemorrhage can often occur in elderly patients after head traumas that are too minor for the patient to remember. In Subdural Bleeding, unlike Epidural, symptoms may not appear immediately. Sometimes symptoms may occur months after the trauma. In these patients, the bleeding, which is initially small, accumulates over time due to the high protein levels in the blood, and since the brain begins to shrink in the elderly, they are more affected by this situation than younger people. Generally, 2-3 months after the impact, deteriorations in the patient's neurological condition may manifest themselves, such as numbness in the arms and legs, loss of strength, paralysis, and speech impairment.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Epidural and Subdural Bleeding. Common to both are bleeding, the presence of a clot mass and crushing the brain. If this clot is not removed, it will gradually grow and put pressure on the brain, causing the patient's death. Therefore, if there are symptoms after severe head trauma, a tomography should be taken.
Tomography checks for bleeding or bone fractures. Sometimes when the first tomography is taken, the bleeding may not be visible because it is thin, but if symptoms begin to appear after 4-5 hours, a repeat tomography is required. People who have suffered severe head trauma should therefore be kept under observation in the hospital for a while.
The only treatment for both types of bleeding is surgery. After the problem is resolved with surgery, the patient If there is no permanent damage to the person due to trauma, he/she can lead a normal life.
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