So, the doctor may not order a brain scan for a mild concussion. Each person with a concussion heals at their own pace. It's important to find a balance between doing too much and too little.
At first, you need to cut back on physical activities and those that require a lot of concentration. Then, you can start trying these activities again. Your symptoms don't have to be completely gone for you to add activities. But if symptoms interfere with an activity, take a break from it.
You can try it again after a few minutes, or you can try a less strenuous version of the activity. Student athletes must wait until their health care provider says it's safe before returning to sports.
This means that they:. Hurrying back to sports and other physical activities puts teens at risk for second-impact syndrome. This is when someone gets another head injury before the concussion has healed.
Although very rare, second-impact syndrome can cause lasting brain damage and even death. Almost every state has rules about when teens with concussions can start playing sports again.
People are much more likely to get a concussion if they've had one before. So preventing concussions is very important after a head injury. To prevent another concussion:. Reviewed by: Rochelle E. Haas, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is a Concussion? Signs and symptoms of a concussion include: headache blurred or double vision dizziness, balance problems, or trouble walking confusion and saying things that don't make sense being slow to answer questions slurred speech nausea or vomiting not remembering what happened not feeling well Symptoms of a concussion usually happen right away, but can show up hours or days after an injury.
A teen with a concussion may: have trouble focusing have learning or memory problems have a headache that gets worse have sleep problems feel sad, easily upset or angered, or nervous If you have been diagnosed with a concussion, call your health care provider right away or have someone take you to the ER if you: have a severe headache or one that gets worse have a seizure pass out have other symptoms such as continued vomiting that worry you These could be signs of a serious concussion, and you might need treatment in a hospital.
What Happens in a Concussion? How Do Teens Get Concussions? Concussions can also happen from: car or bicycle accidents a fight a fall How Are Concussions Diagnosed? To diagnose a concussion, the health care provider will: ask about how and when the head injury happened ask about symptoms test memory and concentration do an exam and test balance, coordination, and reflexes If a head injury happens while someone is playing sports, a coach or athletic trainer may do sideline concussion testing.
If the symptoms worsen or become severe, a person should report these changes to a doctor. If a person has pain or a headache, they may wish to take pain relievers to manage it. However, doctors may encourage people to avoid the prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs and acetaminophen Tylenol , as this overuse can also cause headaches. There is not enough evidence to suggest that complete rest is the best option for concussion recovery. Due to this, doctors encourage people to return gradually to their usual activities, being careful to avoid any that make their symptoms worse.
Once the symptoms start to resolve, a person may notice that they are able to do more. However, they should only return to sports when they are completely symptom-free.
Before returning to normal cognitive and physical activities, people with a recent concussion should speak to a doctor. Once a person returns to sport and other activities, they should practice concussion prevention strategies. These may include wearing protective gear, such as helmets or mouth guards.
However, there is a limited amount of evidence to prove that this gear is effective against concussion. For sports, other safety strategies, such as stricter body-checking policies, may help prevent concussions. However, there are additional signs of danger that require emergency care. If a person has any of these symptoms, they must seek help immediately:.
The most common symptom is a headache. People may also experience dizziness, balance disturbances, and confusion. The following table lists common signs and symptoms of a concussion:. If a person receives a blow to the head or body, an observer may notice these signs of a concussion:. In babies, parents and caregivers may notice a refusal to eat or continual crying. Older children may report similar symptoms as adults, including headaches and memory loss.
Although some symptoms appear immediately after the injury, some may take longer to develop. It is important for parents and caregivers to check in on their children in the hours and days after a concussion to watch for any symptom progression.
If symptoms get worse or are severe, it is important to seek immediate help. People can get a concussion from a direct or indirect injury to the head. A direct injury is when something impacts the head, which can happen during:. An indirect injury happens when a strong force impacts a different location on the body.
Sometimes, this can also cause injury to the brain. The most common complication of a concussion is postconcussion syndrome. People with postconcussion syndrome experience persistent concussion symptoms for weeks or months after the injury. Doctors say that the severity of the initial symptoms does not predict future complications.
The image that is created forms a cross-section of the inside of your skull and brain. A CT scan is also recommended for adults who have experienced some loss of consciousness or memory since the injury and who:. A CT scan is also usually recommended for babies less than a year old who have a bruise, swelling or cut on the head bigger than 5cm 2 inches. There are a number of self care techniques you can use to relieve mild concussion symptoms. If more serious symptoms start to develop, seek immediate medical treatment.
Sometimes the symptoms of a more serious brain injury do not occur for several hours, or possibly days, after the initial injury has taken place. This means it's important that you remain alert for signs and symptoms that could suggest a more serious injury has occurred.
Despite being one of the most common sport-related injuries, there is no internationally agreed consensus on advice about when it is safe to return to playing a contact sport, such as rugby, after a concussion. Most national sporting federations and organisations recommend a "step-wise" approach, where you wait until you are free from symptoms and then resume a low level of physical activity.
If the symptoms do not return, you can step up to a more intense level of activity. If symptoms are still under control, continue to step up through the levels, eventually returning to playing the sport. If you are symptom-free, you should be able to return to play within a week. If you experience a return of symptoms, rest for 24 hours, drop down to a previous step, and then attempt to move up again. Post-concussion syndrome PCS is the term used to describe a collection of symptoms that can last for several weeks or months after the concussion.
The exact cause of PCS is not known. One theory is that PCS is the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain triggered by the initial injury that caused the concussion. Another theory suggests PCS may be caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain. There is no specific treatment for the symptoms of PCS, though many medications used to treat migraines have also proved effective in treating the headaches caused by PCS.
Antidepressants and talking treatments such as psychotherapy may help control the psychological symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. Most cases of PCS will resolve within three to six months, and only 1 in 10 people will still have symptoms after a year. It is also easy to underestimate how many cases of concussion occur as the result of a fall or slip at home or in the garden, especially in older people. Following some or all of the suggestions below will help keep your home and garden as safe as possible.
For more information, visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents website. Home Illnesses and conditions Injuries Head and neck injuries Concussion. Concussion See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About concussion 2. Symptoms of concussion 3. Causes of concussion 4. Diagnosing concussion 5. Treating concussion 6. Complications of concussion 7. Preventing concussion. About concussion Concussion is the sudden but short-lived loss of mental function that occurs after a blow or other injury to the head.
The medical term for concussion is minor traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of concussion include brief: loss of consciousness after the head injury periods of memory loss disturbances in vision, such as "seeing stars" or blurry vision a period of confusion, a blank expression, or a delay in answering questions immediately after the head injury If a brain scan is carried out, concussion is only diagnosed if the scan is normal — for example, there is no bleeding or swelling of the brain.
When to seek medical help Concussion should only be diagnosed by a health professional trained in assessing patients with head injury. Phone for an ambulance immediately if the person: remains unconscious after the initial injury is having a seizure or fit is bleeding from one or both ears has been vomiting since the injury is having difficulty staying awake, speaking, or understanding what people are saying Certain things make you more vulnerable to the effects of a head injury.
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