Injuries of the Head, Face and Neck

Pink eye can be caused by a virus, fungus, bacteria, allergy or by something irritating the eye. Sometimes, pink eye is a sign of a more serious infection like chlamydia or gonorrhea.

Bystanders and lay rescuers at accidents are greatly concerned with keeping victims awake after an accident. They're worried the victim may have a concussion. The belief is that if allowed to fall asleep, the victim will die. Is it necessary to keep victims of head injury from slipping into unconsciousness?

I must confess: before the skiing accident that killed Natasha Richardson, I'd never heard the term "Talk and Die Syndrome." As soon as I read it, I knew it referred to an epidural hematoma. In the days following Richardson's death, I was asked several times: what exactly is talk and die syndrome?

You're not just another pretty face. Your face is complex -- it has lots of little muscles that need lots of little blood vessels. Cuts and scrapes to the face bleed quite a bit, even when they're relatively minor. Bleeding from certain areas may point to much more dangerous conditions, however.

Cervical spine injuries can lead to paralysis and loss of feeling. Be careful when handling suspected cervical spine injuries.

A closed head injury is an injury to the brain inside an intact skull. Injury to the brain causes swelling, which quickly increases the pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure). Closed head injury comes from a blunt object (including the ground) striking the head.

Stop Bleeding before it leads to shock.

Treat shock victims with warmth and correct positioning.

Injuries causing swelling of the brain inside the skull.

Emergencies that may involve the neck are particularly dangerous. From your About Guide to Back and Neck Injury.

Learn how to handle that pain in the neck.

Learn how to handle damaged teeth.

Jaw injuries can lead to breathing difficulties or trouble eating.

Bleeding and breathing difficulty make this a bigger problem than action movies would have you believe.

If you knock your noggin hard enough, you'll crack the shell. Know what to do.

Most people will experience acute low back pain sometime in their lives. Recognizing the symptoms of low back pain and knowing what to expect from treatment can help to avoid a prolonged episode.

Head injury symptoms can vary from victim to victim. About.com First Aid readers share their head injury symptoms.