Acetaminophen (Tylenol) will help alleviate headache pain.Swelling will usually begin to go down within a few hours, but it may take up to a week for the goose egg to go away. Try this for a day or two, several times a day. To reduce swelling, apply an ice or cold pack wrapped in a towel to the area for 15-20 minutes, remove it for 30 minutes and reapply.

When this is the case, home treatment will help with the discomfort: If a child or adult (under the age of 65) is alert and responsive after a head bump, it's likely the injury is mild. In most cases, goose eggs can be filed under the category of “looks worse than it is.” In other words, most bumps to the head are relatively minor and seldom cause serious problems. Goose egg bumps can be especially prominent in young children, based on the simple fact that they have less space on their heads for blood to collect. (Just ask any parent who has witnessed the excess of blood that comes from even a minor cut to a little one's head.) When those blood vessels are ruptured by even a slight bump and the skin is not broken, the pooled blood pushes outward and creates an egg-shaped protrusion. There's a bounty of small blood vessels in and under the scalp.

But what makes a bruise quickly morph into something so doggone dramatic? But it's important to know when to reach for an ice pack and when to seek medical care.Ī goose egg is basically a bruise, or hematoma, on the forehead or scalp.

Most often, goose eggs and other head bumps aren't a cause for concern. And for older adults, it could mean a trip to the ER. But when a knock on the head blooms into a bulging goose egg, it can be alarming. From toddlerdom through adulthood, lumps, bumps and bruises are a simple rite of passage.

Flat spot on top of head in adults