Description

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function. Often the effects are short term and can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance, mood, and sleep.

Concussions are usually caused by an impact to the head or the body that is associated with a change in brain function. Not everyone who experiences a blow to the body or the head has a concussion.

Some concussions cause the person to lose consciousness, but most do not.

Falls are the most common cause of concussions. Concussions are also common among athletes who play a contact sport, like football or soccer. Most people recover fully after a concussion.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not occur immediately. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, or even more.

Common symptoms after a mild traumatic brain injury, headache, confusion and loss of memory is known as amnesia. The amnesia usually involves forgetting the event that caused the concussion.

The physical symptoms of a concussion may include:

  • The pain of a headache.
  • Ringing in the ears.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Fatigue or drowsiness.
  • Blurred vision.

Other symptoms of a concussion include:

  • Confusion or feeling as if in a fog.
  • Amnesia surrounding the event.
  • Dizziness or "seeing stars."

A witness can observe these symptoms in the person with a concussion:

  • The temporary loss of consciousness, although this is not always the case.
  • Difficulty in speech.
  • Delay in response to questions.
  • Dazed appearance.
  • Oblivion, such as asking the same question over and over again.

Some of the symptoms of a concussion to occur immediately. But sometimes symptoms may not occur for days after the injury, such as:

  • Problems with concentration and memory.
  • Irritability and other personality changes.
  • The sensitivity to light and noise.
  • Problems with sleep.
  • Feeling emotional or depression.
  • Changes in taste and smell.

Symptoms in children

Concussions can be difficult to recognize in infants and young children because they can't describe how they feel. Concussion tracks may include:

  • Dazed appearance.
  • Listlessness and tiring easily.
  • The irritability and bad moods.
  • Loss of balance and unsteady walking.
  • The excessive crying.
  • Change in eating or sleeping patterns.
  • Lack of interest in favorite toys.
  • Vomiting.

When to see a doctor

Consult a health professional within 1 to 2 days if:

  • You or your child suffers a head injury, even if emergency care is not required.

Children and teens need to see a health professional trained in the evaluation and management of concussion pediatric.

Seek emergency care for an adult or a child who suffers a head injury and have any of these signs:

  • Repeated vomiting or nausea.
  • The loss of consciousness that lasts more than 30 seconds.
  • A headache that gets worse over time.
  • Fluid or blood coming out of the nose or ears.
  • The vision or ocular changes. For example, the black parts of the eye, known as the student, can be larger than usual, or unequal sizes.
  • Ringing in the ears that does not go away.
  • Weakness in the arms or legs.
  • Changes in behavior.
  • Confusion or disorientation. For example, the person may not recognize people or places.
  • Difficulty speaking, or other changes in speech.
  • Obvious changes in mental function.
  • The changes in physical coordination, such as stumbling or clumsiness.
  • Seizures or convulsions.
  • Dizziness that does not go away, or goes away and comes back.
  • Symptoms that get worse with time.
  • Big head bumps or bruises, such as bruising around the eyes or behind the ears. It is especially important to seek emergency medical attention if these symptoms occur in infants younger than 12 months of age.

When symptoms occur in athletes

Never return to play or vigorous activity immediately after a concussion. Experts recommend that adults, children, and adolescents, athletes with concussions do not return to play on the same day of the injury. Even if a concussion is suspected, experts recommend not to return to the activities that may put the athlete at risk of a concussion. The Gradual return to learning, and physical activity is individual and depends on the symptoms. Must always be supervised by a health care professional.

Causes

During a concussion, the brain slides back and forth against the inner walls of the skull. This forced movement can be caused by a violent blow to the head and neck or the upper part of the body. It can also be caused by sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head. This can happen during a car accident, a fall from a bicycle or a collision with another player in the sport.

These movements cause damage to the brain and affect the function of the brain, usually for a short period of time. Sometimes a mild traumatic brain injury can lead to bleeding into or around the brain, causing a prolonged drowsiness, confusion and, sometimes, death. Any person who suffers a brain injury should be monitored in the hours after and seek emergency medical attention if the symptoms get worse.

Risk factors

Events and factors that can increase the risk of a concussion include:

  • The activities that can lead to falls, especially in young children and older adults.
  • High-risk sports such as American football, hockey, soccer, rugby, boxing and other contact sports.
  • Do not use the appropriate safety equipment and supervision when playing high-risk sports.
  • Auto accidents.
  • A pedestrian or bicycle accidents.
  • The military combat.
  • Physical abuse.

After you have had a concussion, it also increases the risk of having another.

Complications

Potential complications of concussion include:

  • Post-traumatic headaches. Some people experience a concussion-related headaches for several days to weeks after a brain injury.
  • Post-traumatic vertigo. Some people experience a sensation of dizziness or vertigo for days or weeks after a brain injury.
  • Persistent post-concussive symptoms, also known as post-concussion syndrome. A small number of people may have multiple symptoms that last longer than expected. The longer duration of the symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, and problems with thinking. If these symptoms persist for more than three months, are called persistent post-concussive symptoms.
  • Effects of multiple lesions in the brain. Researchers are studying the effects of repeated head injuries that do not cause symptoms, known as subconcussive injury. At this time, there is no conclusive evidence that these repeated brain injuries affect brain function.
  • Second impact syndrome. Rarely, experiencing a second concussion before the symptoms of a first concussion go away, can result in rapid swelling of the brain. This can lead to death. It is important that the athletes never return to sports, while they are still experiencing the symptoms of the concussion.

Prevention

These tips can help you prevent or minimise the risk of a concussion:

  • Wear protective gear during sports and other recreational activities.Make sure that the computer is correctly adjusted, it is well maintained and used properly. Follow the rules of the game and the practice of good sportsmanship. Make sure you use a helmet when riding a bicycle, motorcycle, snowboard, or perform any activity that may result in a head injury.
  • Buckle your seat belt. Wearing a seatbelt can prevent serious injury, including injuries to the head during a traffic accident.
  • Make your home a safe place. Keep your home well-lit. Keep floors free of anything that may cause you to trip and fall. Falls in the home are one of the main causes of injury in the head.
  • Protect your children. To help reduce the risk of head injury in children, to block the stairs and install bars on the windows.
  • Exercise regularly. The exercise strengthens the muscles of the legs and improves balance.
  • Educate others about concussions. Educate coaches, athletes, parents, and others about concussions to help spread the awareness. Coaches and parents can also help encourage good sportsmanship.

Wear protective gear during sports and other recreational activities. Make sure that the computer is correctly adjusted, it is well maintained and used properly. Follow the rules of the game and the practice of good sportsmanship.

Make sure you use a helmet when riding a bicycle, motorcycle, snowboard, or perform any activity that may result in a head injury.

Diagnosis

To diagnose a concussion, your health care professional evaluates your symptoms and review your medical history. You may need tests to help diagnose a concussion. The tests may include a neurological examination, cognitive tests, and imaging tests.

Neurological examination

Your health care professional asks detailed questions about your injury and then takes a neurological exam. This assessment includes the review of the:

  • Of the vision.
  • The hearing.
  • Strength and sensitivity.
  • Balance.
  • Coordination.
  • Reflections.

The cognitive tests

Your health care professional may perform several tests to evaluate their thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities. The tests can evaluate several factors, including your:

  • Memory.
  • Concentration.
  • The ability to recall the information.

Imaging tests

Brain imaging may be recommended for some people who have had a concussion. Imaging can be performed in people with symptoms such as headaches, seizures, repeated vomiting or symptoms that are getting worse. Imaging tests can determine if the injury has caused bleeding or swelling in the skull.

A computed tomography (CT) of the head is the standard of proof in adults to evaluate the brain after an injury. A ct scan uses a series of X-rays to obtain cross-sectional images of the brain and skull.

For children with suspected concussion, ct scan is used only if specific criteria are met, such as the type of injury or signs of a fracture of the skull. This is to limit the radiation exposure in young children.

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to identify changes in the brain, or to diagnose the complications that can occur after a concussion. An mri uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce detailed images of your brain.

Observation

After a diagnosis of a concussion, you or your child may need to be hospitalized overnight for observation.

Or to your health care provider may accept that you or your child can be observed at home. Someone to stay with you and check on you for at least 24 hours to make sure that your symptoms are not getting worse.

Treatment

There are steps you can take to help your brain heal and speed up the recovery.

Physical and mental rest

In the first couple of days after a concussion, relative rest allows your brain to recover. Health professionals recommend that you physically and mentally rest during this time. However, the rest, as lying in a dark room, without any kind of stimuli, does not help in the recovery and is not recommended.

In the first 48 hours, limit activities that require a lot of concentration, if these activities make your symptoms worse. This includes playing video games, watch TV, do homework, read, send text messages or use a computer.

Do not do physical activities that increase symptoms. This may include general physical exercise, sports or any strenuous movements. Not to do these activities until you no longer provoke their symptoms.

After a period of relative rest, gradually increasing the daily activities if you can tolerate without causing symptoms. You can start both physical and mental activities at levels that do not cause a significant worsening of the symptoms.

The light exercise and physical activity as tolerated from a couple of days after the injury has been shown to accelerate the recovery. The activities could include riding a stationary bike or jogging gently. But do not become involved in activities that have a high risk of having another impact of the head until it is fully recovered.

Your health care professional may recommend that you have shortened the days of school or work. You may need to take breaks during the day, or have been modified or reduced the loads of school work or work assignments as you recover.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend different therapies. You may need rehabilitation for symptoms related to vision, balance, or the thinking and memory.

Returning to the routine of the activity

As your symptoms improve, you can gradually add more activities that involve thinking. You can do more tasks or work assignments, or enhance your time in school or at work.

A little bit of physical activity can help to speed up the recovery of the brain. Cost-effectiveness of the physical activity, the sport protocols can be recommended by your health care professional. These typically involve specific levels of physical activity to make sure that you return to activity safely. Do not resume contact sports until you are symptom-free and cleared by your health professional.

The relief of pain

The headaches may occur in the days or weeks after a concussion. To manage the pain, ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Do not take other pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and aspirin. These medicines may increase the risk of bleeding.

Preparing for your appointment

It is important for anyone who has a head injury to be evaluated by a health care professional, even if emergency care is not required.

If your child has received a head injury that worries you, call your child's healthcare provider immediately. Depending on your symptoms, your health care professional may recommend that your child get immediate medical attention.

Here's some information to help you prepare for and make the most of your appointment.

What you can do

  • Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions or instructions. The most important thing that you can do while you wait for your appointment is not to perform activities that may cause or worsen the symptoms. Do not practice sports or to do vigorous physical activities. To minimize the stress of prolonged mental tasks. At the time of making the appointment, ask what steps you or your child needs to take to encourage the recovery or prevent another injury. Experts recommend that athletes not return to play until they have been medically evaluated.
  • List any symptoms you or your child has been experiencing and how long you have been taking place.
  • The list of medical information, such as other medical conditions for which you or your child is being treated. Include a history of head injury. Also write down the names of all the medications, vitamins, supplements or other natural remedies that you or your child is taking.
  • Have a family member or friend. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who comes with you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
  • Write questions to ask their health professional.

For a concussion, some basic questions to ask include:

  • I have a concussion?
  • What kind of proof do you need?
  • What treatment approach do you recommend?
  • How soon will symptoms begin to improve?
  • What is the risk of future concussions?
  • What is the risk of long-term complications?
  • When it will be safe to return to competitive sports?
  • When it will be safe to resume vigorous exercise?
  • It is safe to return to school or to work?
  • It is safe for you to drive a car or operate power equipment?
  • I have other medical conditions. How can they be managed together?
  • You should see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover a visit to a specialist? You may have to call your insurance provider to some of these answers.
  • Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take my house? What sites do you recommend?

In addition to the questions you have prepared, do not hesitate to ask questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Be ready to respond to your healthcare professional of the questions you may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk in-depth.

You or your child should be prepared to answer the following questions about the injury and symptoms related:

  • Play contact sports?
  • How did you get this injury?
  • What symptoms have you had immediately after the injury?
  • Do you remember what happened just before and just after the injury?
  • Did you lose consciousness after the injury?
  • Do you have seizures?
  • Have experienced nausea or vomiting since the injury?
  • Have you had a headache? How soon after the injury started?
  • Have you noticed any problem with the physical coordination since the injury?
  • Have you had any problems with memory or concentration, since the injury?
  • Have you noticed any sensitivity or changes in vision and hearing?
  • Has had mood changes, including irritability, anxiety, or depression?
  • It felt slow or easy fatigue from the injury?
  • Are you having trouble sleeping or waking from sleep?
  • Have you noticed changes in your sense of smell or taste?
  • Do you have vertigo?
  • What other symptoms are you worried about?
  • Have you had any previous injury to the head?

What you can do in the meantime

Before your appointment, do not do activities that increase your symptoms and the risk of another head injury. This includes the practice of sports or activities that require vigorous movements.

Gradually resume your normal daily activities, including screen time, as you are able to tolerate without worsening of symptoms.

If you have a headache, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may help relieve the pain. Do not take other pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) if you suspect that you have had a concussion. These can increase the risk of bleeding.

Symptoms and treatment of Concussion