Advice for a patient allowed home from a&e following head injury

Do you still feel unwell?

Often people can feel unwell after a head injury even when they are back home.

Common symptoms are:

• mild headache
• dizziness
• memory problems
• poor concentration
• irritability or being easily annoyed
• tiredness
• poor sleep.

If you have any of these symptoms, do not worry because they should clear up in time without any treatment.

But if you still have any of the symptoms after two weeks you should see your own doctor.

Some extra advice to help you get well:

Following this advice will help you to recover from your head injury more quickly, and it may stop some of the symptoms from happening.

• DO have plenty of rest and avoid stressful and noisy situations.
• DO NOT take any alcohol.
• DO NOT take sleeping pills, sedatives or tranquillisers unless they are given by a doctor.
• DO NOT play any contact sport (e.g. football or squash) for at least three weeks without talking to your doctor first.