Head injury or a traumatic brain injury can strike unexpectedly to anyone of us. Head injuries result in more deaths in young adults than any other cause.  It has been found that in India one person dies every 10 minutes due to head injuries .  Today we are going to address the common causes and prevention of head injuries .

Our Guest doctor Dr.Chandrashekar says that Tamilnadu tops the list in the highest number of road accidents in our country. It’s not surprising that the most common among this is the two wheeler accidents where the pillion rider is more seriously hurt as they don’t wear helmets. Only when both riders wear helmets such head traumas can be prevented.

One of the callers pointed out that only when the punishment is severe , the riders would take such law enforcements seriously and paying fine is not going to make much difference. While another caller felt that most riders do not have road sense and they do not realise that reckless driving could not only injure them but also affect the people around them.

The doctor says that 50% of these head trauma victims are the bread winners of the family and this affects the family financially and emotionally. He says the possible injuries may vary from minor abrasions, scalp lacerations to unconsciousness or even lead to coma if one fails to wear helmet.

There are only two major reasons that riders give for not wearing helmet. One being the heat of the city and the other one is hair fall. But these reasons are not significant excuses for the riders when their life and health is at risk.

Dr. Chandrashekar points out few to-do’s while driving to avoid such injuries:
– Make sure your helmet is strapped properly.
– If in a car, wear your seatbelts.
– Always be considerate to pedestrians.
– Follow Road Rules.
– Avoid Drinking & Driving.
– Drive Slow and Be Safe!

People need to set an example for each other. Parents need to show their children by example too.
Use your head, wear a helmet!