Head injury worry

[xxrachel91]

A couple of years ago, I fell and hit the back of my head very hard on the floor (concrete floor but with carpet). I seemed to be fine after that, I remember being a bit dazed for a short while, obviously from shock. At the time, I wasn't dealing with anxiety and worry so I shook it off.

However, last night, I hit the back of my head hard on the wall (I've felt a little funny today after hitting my head last night and my neck/head cricks a little if I look to my right but I haven't been sick or had passed out etc) and it made me remember the previous injury and I'm now worried that I may have damaged my head previously when I hit my head hard on the floor. I read up about head injuries and I'm now worried I might have a subdural haematoma or another head injury because sometimes these don't form months/years after the injury. Thinking back to my first injury, I seem to have had headaches pretty much everyday.

I want to go to the doctor and ask for a MRI or CT scan because of these headaches and in case I've done any serious damage but I'm also worried that they'll just tell me I'm being stupid and to "just take paracetamol". I'm not sure what to do :(

[HyPoCon]

Doctors are there to help you, they are there to do the best by you, if they tell you that they don't think it is necessary then they a most likely right...... However they are there to make you feel better and if that mean referring you for a CT or an MRI then that is what they will do, If they do not, ask them for one and push it, I have just done it and they referred me for an CT scan, Turns out nothing was wrong with me aside from anxiety, but it put my mind at ease and I am glad I did it

:)

[xxrachel91]

Doctors are there to help you, they are there to do the best by you, if they tell you that they don't think it is necessary then they a most likely right...... However they are there to make you feel better and if that mean referring you for a CT or an MRI then that is what they will do, If they do not, ask them for one and push it, I have just done it and they referred me for an CT scan, Turns out nothing was wrong with me aside from anxiety, but it put my mind at ease and I am glad I did it

:)

Thank you for your reply, I'm going to try and go to the doctors this week or next week if I can't get an appointment. I'm a little nervous about pushing for a scan, I'm not really sure what to say or how to go about it, I don't want to end up leaving without a scan referral.

[HyPoCon]

It took me a while to work my courage up to start pushing for what I wanted, but I just got so scared of symptoms and decided before I went that I was not leaving without some sort of confirmation...

Good luck
feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to :)

[xxrachel91]

It took me a while to work my courage up to start pushing for what I wanted, but I just got so scared of symptoms and decided before I went that I was not leaving without some sort of confirmation...

Good luck
feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to :)

I went to the doctor today and told them about my concerns but she didn't think I have done any major damage. My mind still isn't at ease though because I wasn't given a referral for a scan, despite how I went on about how it was worrying me.

[cpe1978]

I am afraid I couldn't disagree more. I don't believe that anyone should visit the doctor and push for scans and especially not someone with health anxiety.

It simply isn't appropriate to scan everyone who bumps their head. A dr is qualified to look out for things that would warrant a scan and they shouldn't provide a scan just to out someone's anxious mind at ease. There are two reasons for this in my view:

- Firstly scans cost a shed load of money and whilst they should be readily provided to anyone who needs them they shouldn't be thrown around as a reassurance tool. The NHS is under phenomenal financial pressure because people are living longer, leading less healthy lifestyles and medical science is progressing at an incredible and expensive pace.

- Secondly on average if any adult undergoes a CT scan they will observe 3 benign abnormalities. Some of these will warrant further investigation, sometimes intrusive and virtually ways unnecessary. There is no evidence to back up the notion that patient demanded scans decrease risk of serious illness.

[xxrachel91]

I am afraid I couldn't disagree more. I don't believe that anyone should visit the doctor and push for scans and especially not someone with health anxiety.

It simply isn't appropriate to scan everyone who bumps their head. A dr is qualified to look out for things that would warrant a scan and they shouldn't provide a scan just to out someone's anxious mind at ease. There are two reasons for this in my view:

- Firstly scans cost a shed load of money and whilst they should be readily provided to anyone who needs them they shouldn't be thrown around as a reassurance tool. The NHS is under phenomenal financial pressure because people are living longer, leading less healthy lifestyles and medical science is progressing at an incredible and expensive pace.

- Secondly on average if any adult undergoes a CT scan they will observe 3 benign abnormalities. Some of these will warrant further investigation, sometimes intrusive and virtually ways unnecessary. There is no evidence to back up the notion that patient demanded scans decrease risk of serious illness.

I understand that, I probably should have written more in my reply, I didn't even push for a scan in the end, I didn't want to feel stupid (and I also didn't have the courage to), but I wasn't happy with my visit overall. My mind wasn't put at ease - I just feel more anxious now - and I just got the typical "take paracetamol" even though I explained that I got bad headaches everyday and paracetamol doesn't help with them a lot of the time.