Doctor gives advice on head injuries in light of Bob Saget’s recent death

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - In light of Bob Saget’s shocking cause of death, a local doctor is raising awareness on the severity of head trauma and giving some tips to help ensure Southwest Louisiana residents take the proper precautions if they have any kind of head injury.

Dr. Shah at Christus Ochsner Lake Area Hospital shared his advice when it comes to head trauma.

Bumping your head may seem like a small nuisance that will just leave you with a minor headache, but Dr. Shah said you should take it a little more seriously.

“Take head injury, even if it is minor, a little bit more serious,” Dr. Shah said.

A little head bump can cause more damage than it may seem.

“You can bump your head, have a minor trauma and, you know, be fine,” Dr. Shah said. “You can even have some severe trauma but have no consequences.”

Dr. Shah said sometimes symptoms take a few hours to present.

“You can have a head injury - you have a minor loss of consciousness or you don’t remember the injury and you feel better until you have some delayed effects of the injury, which will take 12 to 24 hours,” Dr. Shah said.

That’s called the lucid interval: The period of time after a head injury where everything seems fine before the onset of symptoms.

That is why Dr. Shah said it’s incredibly important not to immediately go to sleep after a head injury.

“If you have a head injury and either, you know, you go to sleep or if you have had some alcoholic drinks, it’s hard to assess what’s happening,” Dr. Shah said.

Dr. Shah gave some red flags to look out for.

“If you have head injury and if you feel that you’re not your usual self - you’re more dizzy or sleepy - I think those are kind of the warning symptoms when you really need to seek medical advice,” Dr. Shah said.

If you’re ever unsure of how bad the injury may be, Dr. Shah said it’s better to be safe than sorry and seek medical help.

“Sometimes, if it goes unrecognized, it can lead to even death,” Dr. Shah said.

Dr. Shah said head traumas can cause a number of different severe complications, so it’s important to continually monitor symptoms and seek medical help if needed.

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