Mayo Clinic Site
Your brain floats within your skull, surrounded by fluid that cushions it from the bounces of everyday movement. But the fluid may not be able to absorb the force of a sudden blow or a quick stop. In these situations, your brain may slide forcefully against the inner wall of your skull and become bruised.
An intracranial hematoma occurs when a blood vessel ruptures within your brain or between your skull and your brain. The collection of blood (hematoma) compresses your brain tissue.
Signs and symptoms of an intracranial hematoma may occur from immediately to several weeks or longer after a blow to your head. As time progresses, pressure on your brain increases, producing some or all of the following signs and symptoms:
■Headache
■Nausea
■Vomiting
■Drowsiness
■Dizziness
■Confusion
■Slurred speech or loss of ability to speak
■Pupils of unequal size
■Weakness in limbs on one side of your body
The Mayo Clinic publishes a very useful site for information on brain injury. I selected a few interesting excerpts and you can access the site by clicking http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/intracranial-hematoma/DS00330.
