When to go to A&E

Go to your nearestaccident and emergency (A&E) department immediately if:

• you have hit your head andhave two black eyes (this suggests a type of head injury known as a basilar skull fracture)
• you lost consciousness at the time of the blow to your head
• you have double vision or loss of vision
• you have other symptoms of a severe head injury , such as memory loss, a severe or persistent headache, drowsiness, seizures (fits), or vomiting
• you cannot move youreye
• you think something has pierced youreye, or there is something stuck in it
• your eye is cut or there is blood in your eye
• you have other signs of a serious eye injury , such asan irregularly shaped pupil (the black dot at the centre of the eye), pain when exposed to bright light, orflashing lights, spots, halos or shadows in your field of vision
• you are taking blood-thinning medication, such as aspirin , or you have a bleeding disorder, such as haemophilia

Any of these situations could mean you have a serious injury and need to be assessed as soon as possible.