What happens when you fracture your skull?

Skull fractures can become catastrophic injuries. You may suffer a skull fracture due to blunt force trauma or penetrating trauma. Both types of trauma commonly occur during car accidents.

According to Healthline, the treatment for skull fractures depends on the severity of the break.

Types of skull fractures

There are several types of skull fractures. A closed fracture, for instance, does not break the skin, whereas an open fracture breaks the skin and may expose the skull. Basal fractures occur on the skull floor, around the eyes, nose, ears and top of the neck. Depressed fractures cause the skull to indent and can extend into the brain cavity, damaging tissues.

Treatments for skull fractures

When a doctor treats you for a skull fracture, he or she considers your current health, medical history and age. In addition, he or she needs to think about the type of fracture you have and whether you have any brain injuries associated with the fracture.

In a lot of cases, skull fractures heal themselves. When it comes to basal fractures, you may only need pain medication to manage the pain. However, if you have leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, you may require surgery. When it comes to depressed skull fractures, surgery is almost always necessary. Depressed fractures cannot always heal on their own.

If you have a skull fracture, you may present with swelling around the trauma site, facial bruising or bleeding from the ears or nose. Not all fractures present with symptoms, however. If you experience severe pain, warmth at the site, bruising, or bleeding, it may be a severe fracture.