Overview
What is a concussion?
A
concussion is a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or to
the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which temporarily
prevents the brain from working normally.
Some people have obvious
symptoms of a concussion (such as passing out or feeling lightheaded), while
others do not. With rest, most people fully recover from concussions within a
few hours to a few weeks.
On rare occasions, concussions cause
more serious problems. Repeated concussions or a severe concussion may require
surgery or lead to long-lasting problems with movement, learning, or speaking.
Because of the small chance of permanent brain problems, it is important to
contact a doctor if you or someone you know has symptoms of a concussion.
What causes a concussion?
Your brain is a soft organ that is surrounded by spinal fluid and
protected by your hard skull. Normally, the fluid around your brain acts like a
cushion that keeps your brain from banging into your skull. But if your head or
your body is hit unexpectedly hard, your brain can suddenly crash into your
skull and temporarily stop working normally.
There are many ways
to get a concussion. Some common ways include fights, falls, playground
injuries, car crashes, and bike accidents. Concussions can also happen while
participating in rough or high-speed sports such as football, boxing, hockey,
soccer, skiing, or snowboarding.
What are the symptoms?
It is not always easy to know if someone has a
concussion. Not everyone who has a concussion passes out. A person who might
have a concussion should immediately stop any kind of activity or sport.
Becoming active again before the brain returns to normal functioning increases
the person's risk of having a more serious brain injury.
Symptoms
of a concussion range from mild to severe and can last for hours, days, weeks,
or even months. If you notice any symptoms of a concussion, contact your
doctor.
Symptoms of a concussion include:
- Passing out.
- Not being able to
remember what happened after the injury.
- Acting confused, asking
the same question over and over, slurring words, or not being able to
concentrate.
- Feeling lightheaded, seeing "stars," having blurry
vision, or experiencing ringing in the ears.
- Not being able to
stand or walk; or having coordination and balance problems.
- Feeling
nauseous or throwing up.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a small child has a
concussion. If your child has had a head injury, call your doctor for advice on
what to do.
Occasionally a person who has a more serious
concussion develops new symptoms over time and feels worse than he or she did
before the injury. This is called
post-concussive syndrome. If you have symptoms of
post-concussive syndrome, call your doctor. Symptoms of post-concussive
syndrome include:
- Changes in your ability to think, concentrate,
or remember.
- Headaches or blurry vision.
- Changes in
your sleep patterns, such as not being able to sleep or sleeping all the time.
- Changes in your personality such as becoming angry or anxious for
no clear reason.
- Lack of interest in your usual activities.
- Changes in your sex drive.
- Dizziness,
lightheadedness, or unsteadiness that makes standing or walking
difficult.
How is a concussion diagnosed?
If a doctor thinks that you have a concussion,
he or she will ask questions about the injury. The doctor may also ask you
simple questions such as “What day is it?” to see if your brain is working
normally. Then the doctor will check your strength, balance, coordination,
reflexes, and sensation. Sometimes a doctor will order imaging tests such as a
CT scan or a
MRI to make sure your brain is not bruised or
bleeding.
How is it treated?
Initial treatment for a concussion is to watch a person closely for any
changes in behavior or for any new symptoms. Some people have to stay in the
hospital to be watched while others can go home safely.
If the
concussion happened during a sports event, be sure to see a doctor before
returning to play.
If you have any
swelling on your scalp, your doctor may recommend using cold packs to reduce
the swelling. He or she may also prescribe a pain medicine or recommend a pain
medicine that you can buy without a prescription, such as acetaminophen (for
example, Tylenol) or ibuprofen (for example, Advil or Motrin).
At
home, rest is the best way to recover from a concussion. Get plenty of sleep at
night and take it easy during the day. To prevent a second brain injury, avoid
alcohol, illegal drugs, and any activities that could lead to another head
injury for a few days or even a few weeks. Your doctor may also tell you not to
drive or swim for a while.
Some people feel normal again in a few
hours while others have symptoms for weeks or months. It is very important to
allow yourself time to get better and to slowly return to your regular
activities. It is also important to call your doctor if you are not improving
as expected or if you think that you are getting worse instead of
better.
How can I prevent a concussion?
You can reduce your chances of getting a
concussion if:
- You wear helmets and safety equipment when you
are biking, blading, skateboarding, snowboarding, or skiing.
- You
wear your seat belt in a car, pay attention while driving, and do not drive if
you have been drinking or using drugs.
- You make your home as
accident-proof as possible. This can be done by adding lighting to dark areas,
fixing uneven surfaces, blocking off stairways, or padding edges of sharp
objects.