Home Page

Date issued: January 2024

Review date: January 2026

Ref: A-610/NB/Emergency Dept/Head injury in adults

PDF:  Head Injury in Adult Final January 2024.pdf [pdf] 149KB 

Advice for people 16 years and over with a head injury

We have assessed your head injury and it’s very unlikely to cause worrying symptoms in the coming days.

Do not stay at home alone for the first 24 hours after leaving hospital. Also, stay near a telephone for the first 24 to 48 hours in case you need to access emergency medical help.

Do not drive, cycle or operate machinery until you feel completely better. You can ask your doctor for advice about this.

When to go back to hospital

Go to your nearest hospital emergency department as soon as possible, if you develop any of these symptoms:

• Unconsciousness or lack of full consciousness (for example, a problem keeping your eyes open)

• Drowsiness (feeling sleepy) that lasts longer than 1 hour when you would normally be wide awake

• Problems understanding or speaking

• Loss of orientation (such as knowing where you are, what time of day it is, who you’re with and what’s going on around you)

• Loss of balance or problems walking

• Weakness in 1 or more arms or legs

• Problems with your eyesight

• A painful headache that will not go away

• Being sick

• Seizures (also called convulsions or fits)

• Clear fluid coming out of your ears or nose

• Bleeding from 1 or both ears.

If you’re unwell, get someone to take you to the emergency department or call 999 or 111.

If tests have shown you have a skull fracture

A skull fracture with no bleeding inside the skull is not usually dangerous, which is why you can go home now.

Symptoms not usually of concern

You may notice other symptoms over the next few days that should disappear in the next

2 weeks without the need for further treatment in hospital. These include:

• A mild headache

• Feeling sick (without being sick)

• Dizziness

• Irritability or bad temper

• Problems concentrating

• Problems with memory

• Tiredness

• Lack of appetite

• Problems sleeping.

See your doctor if:

• You’re very concerned about any of these symptoms in the first few days after leaving hospital

• The symptoms have not gone away after 2 weeks.

What can help after a head injury?

Rest for 2 to 3 days. Then, gradually return to normal activities such as school, college or work. Be guided by your symptoms. If they get worse, go back to a level of activity that was manageable.

You can slowly return to light, non-contact exercise, gradually stepping up the amount and intensity of the exercise until you reach your normal exercise routine. This may take a few weeks.

Avoid any contact sports, such as football, rugby, boxing or martial arts, for at least 3 weeks, and until a healthcare practitioner has confirmed that you have completely recovered. If you’ve been told you have a skull fracture, try to minimise the risk of further head injuries by, for example, avoiding contact sports for 4 to 6 weeks.

Do not take any alcohol or illegal drugs.

Do not take sleeping pills, sedatives or tranquilisers unless a doctor has prescribed them for you.

For more information and advice, see understanding concussion by England Rugby, the UK governments concussion guidelines for grassroots sport and sport Scotland’s concussion guidance 

Long-term problems

Most people recover quickly from a head injury and do not have any long-term problems. But some people take longer to recover, or develop problems after weeks, months or years. These problems could include but are not limited to fatigue, dizziness, imbalance, or problems with coordination, memory, or vision. This is sometimes called post-concussion syndrome.

Some people develop problems with their hormones months or years after a head injury. For example, the levels of sex hormones can fall because of damage to the pituitary gland. This can cause hot flushes, fatigue, loss of body hair, reduced sex drive, irregular periods, erectile dysfunction, and reduced fertility.

See your doctor as soon as possible if you have any of these problems or they do not get better within 2 weeks.

Further support and information

You can find further support and information about long-term problems after a head injury on the Headway website.

Telephone numbers for further advice:

NHS 111 can help if you need urgent medical help, your GP’s surgery is closed or you're not sure what to do. Telephone 111.

Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.