Bruising around ear after blunt force trauma to head

[brandelee]

I was hit very hard in the head a few days ago and just noticed dark bruising around my ear on the same side.  The bruise may have been there this whole time, i'm not sure.  Should I see a doctor immediately?  I see that it can be signs of a skull fracture.

[StampyJen]

Yes, I would agree with Caregiver.  Go to an emergency room, explain the situation and get the help you need, pronto.

As a TBI survivor, I know that swelling on the brain can happen a day or two after the actual impact.  This can be very dangerous.  Bruising is caused by broken blood vessels, which could just be from the impact sight - (superficial bruising) or it certainly could develop due to more extreme damage. You need to find this out.  Your doctor is someone you need to trust, but with issues like this, you need to take the matter into your own hands and be insistent on seeing a professional, or just get yourself to the ER.

Also, as I always suggest, write everything down. Write down what happened during the incident, write down who helped you, your pain levels, any notable symptoms, has anything changed such as taste, hearing, smell.  Write it all down and then continue to journal every day.  After a month, review and take note of anything that happens most regularly or that is unusual.  Keep seeing your family doctor. Ask to see a neurologist and a neuropsychologist. These two professionals will help you figure out any further damage. But for right now, you need to get to the hospital and get some help and an MRI or CT scan.  

I hope this tidbit helps you. I wish you all the best. Don't let yourself fret too much and just take yourself to the hospital. Let us know how things are going.  
Jenny

[caregiver222]

The answer is not to "see a doctor", and not to "make an appointment". Such a problem is made-to-order for a modern emergency room in the United States, that can send you up for an MRI within minutes.  They really are quite good at this. The most your physician could say is "Hmmmmmmmm." Skull fractures usually heal by themselves. The problem is from internal bleeding ans swelling. The fact you are not having a headache or nausea or have lost consciousness (hopefully) is positive. You have two possibilities. (1) There is no internal bleeding or swelling in which case it doesn't matter if you go to a physician (2) You do have internal bleeding or swelling, in which case every minute counts. This is NOT to suggest your personal physician is incompetent.  But emergency rooms associated with teaching hospitals in the United States are usually certified trauma centers, which means they have a neurologist ready-to-go or on-call. You'll get evaluated by a top-shelf team of physicians who are used to seeing this sort of thing. The best of all possible worlds.