About this topic
Skull and facial fractures are broken bones of the head and face. They most often happen from a fall; car, motorcycle, or bicycle crash; sports injury; or a physical attack. ‚
A skull fracture may be: ‚
- Open ¢ ˆ ’ With a tear or cut on the head
- Closed ¢ ˆ ’ Without a tear or cut on the head
Facial fractures may be anywhere on your face, such as the jaws, nose, mouth, or cheekbones. ‚
Healing will depend on the extent of your injury and how you respond to treatment. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest. Do not sleep on the side of your injured part. Keep head propped on 2 to 3 pillows.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Use the ice for 15 to 20 minutes 6 to 8 times a day.
- If you also have cuts inside your mouth, ask your doctor about the right gargle solutions for you.
- Try not to sneeze. Sneeze with your mouth open to help lessen pressure and keep from harming your skull or face more.
- Do not blow your nose. Dab your nose gently, if needed.
- If you have an eye injury, your doctor may give you an eye patch to protect and help correct eye problems.
- If you have hearing problems, your doctor may give you a hearing aid or implants in the future to help your hearing.
If surgery was done, talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about: ‚
- When you need to change your bandages
- When you make take a bath or shower
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You may need an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI scan to make sure that your bone is healed all the way.
- If you have stitches or staples after surgery, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- If your teeth have been damaged, you may need to see a dentist to fix your broken teeth.
- Your doctor may send you to a rehab specialist to help fix your mouth and facial muscles and restore function.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Lessen pressure inside your head
- Prevent or fight an infection
- Stop seizures
You may also get a tetanus shot from your doctor. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. Talk to your doctor if you run, work out, or play sports. You may not be able to do these things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- You may need to stay on a liquid diet for a day or two.
- Eat soft foods like cereals, jello, pudding, or yogurt after a few days.
- You may not be able to eat solid foods for a while. Ask your doctor or dietician for your diet plan.
What problems could happen?
- Brain, eye, ear, and nose damage or injury
- Bleeding in the brain or head
- Swelling in the brain
- Infection
- Spine injury
- Nerve damage
- Seizures
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Always wear a seatbelt when you drive or ride in a car.
- Use protective headgear like helmets or mouthguards when riding bikes or motorcycles, and when playing sports.
- Stay away from risky activities that may cause falls and head injury.
- Wear hard hats and protective gear if you work in construction or other jobs where you need to work in high places.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, or wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Swelling of your eyes or a change in eyesight
- Ear pain or a change in hearing
- Trouble speaking
- Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, or legs
- Headache
- Not thinking clearly
- Dizziness or passing out
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my fracture.
- I can tell you how I will care for my injured area.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have problems with my eyes, ears, speech, or I am not able to think clearly.
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚