Other symptoms of head injuries to look out for may be bruising around the eyes and behind the ears - an indication of a fracture to the base of the skull at the back of your head.

Neurosurgeon Dr Ernest Wang from NNI also points out you can have a head injury without a fracture. This results when the head is jerked at such a huge force - such as in a car accident - that the brain shakes and the impact of this against the skull's interior may lead to bleeding.

Besides death, head traumas can also have other debilitating consequences such as blindness, loss of memory and intellect, or even paralysis, depending on which part of the brain is damaged.

For example, patients may even experience extreme personality changes if the front of the brain - which controls this aspect - is affected.

Dr Wang advises: 'If you had a hard knock on the head, you should consult your doctor if you experience any symptoms.'

Thankfully for Ms Lee, her scan showed no brain damage. Her doctor says her headaches might be due to muscle spasms because of the bruising from her knock. She is on the road to recovery and her headaches are less frequent now.

She says she was glad she saw a doctor for her own peace of mind.

'I just thought it's better to be kiasu a bit and spend money to go for a scan.'

tanyihui@sph.com.sg

This story was first published in thesundaytimes on Nov 2, 2008

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