Severe head injury can be the result of a fall, a motor vehicle accident, an assault or any other activity that causes the head to receive a sharp blow. Severe head injury is also called traumatic brain injury and can be either a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. Although typically referring to injuries involving the brain, severe head injury can mean injury to the skull and not the brain. Severe head injury typically shows symptoms immediately, though not always. There have been patients who had a severe head injury that was not discovered until they either passed away or went into a coma. Symptoms of severe head injury include: Loss of consciousness; Personality changes; Seizures; Slurred speech; Dilated eyes; Weakness or numbness of the extremities; Vomiting; Severe or persistent headache; Loss of coordination. Severe head injury can also refer to injuries to the scalp and skull. A skull fracture is one type of severe head injury that doesn't involve injury to the brain. Severe head injury, in many cases, could be avoided with the use of safety equipment, such as helmet use when riding bicycles or motorcycles.