Concussion: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, & Treatment

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can occur after an impact to your head. Concussions can also happen during a whiplash-type injury that causes your head and brain to shake quickly back and forth.

Not every bump to the head will cause a TBI. But concussions can cause noticeable symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored. These include headaches, an altered mental state, and even loss of consciousness.

Concussions are usually not life threatening, but they can cause serious symptoms that require medical attention. Treatment may include rest, taking a break from specific activities, and pain medication.

Head injuries can affect anyone, whether caused by a fall at home or in a car accident. If you participate in impact sports such as football or boxing, you have an increased risk of getting a concussion.

We’ll go over key signs and symptoms of a concussion, how this varies by age, what treatment looks like, and more.

Concussion symptoms

Symptoms of a concussion vary depending on both the severity of the injury and the person injured. It’s not true that a loss of consciousness always occurs with a concussion. Some people do experience a loss of consciousness, but others don’t.

Concussions can be painful, but most are not life threatening. You should still always consult a doctor after a possible head injury, as medical treatment may be necessary.

Here’s a breakdown of different symptom categories for concussions:

Physical symptoms (somatic): You might experience sensitivity to light, dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and vomiting, trouble seeing.

Emotional: Feeling particularly anxious, irritable, moody, or sad

Thinking and remembering (cognitive): Having difficulty paying attention, problems with short- or long-term memory, feeling groggy

Sleep: Irregular sleeping patterns (too much or too little), trouble falling asleep

Emergency symptoms: When to see a doctor?

See a doctor if you suspect that you or someone else has a concussion. While most concussions resolve on their own, it’s important to evaluate the severity of the injury.

Concussions may be accompanied by injuries to the spine. If you think a person has a neck or back injury, avoid moving them and call an ambulance for help. If you absolutely must move the person, do so very carefully. You should try to keep the person’s neck and back as stationary as possible. This will avoid causing further damage to the spine.

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), seek immediate medical assistance if someone with a concussion has:

· slurred speech

· trouble waking up, or you can’t wake them

· seizures

· consistent vomiting

· a history of multiple concussions

In general, someone with a concussion should absolutely see a doctor if their symptoms aren’t getting better after a few days or are getting worse.

What causes a concussion?

Concussions are caused by some type of impact injury to your head.

Our brains float in a jelly-like fluid inside our skulls. This fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Head injuries can cause our brain and its surrounding membrane (meninges) to hit the side of our skull. This kind of impact can damage the brain’s tissues, and even cause our CSF to leak.

Causes of a concussion include:

· falling

· getting hit in the head (especially when playing sports)

· being in a car accident

· being injured in a blast or explosion

In severe head injuries, part of our skull can fracture. Skull fractures can cause jagged edges of bone to poke at our brain and cause harm.

Some traumatic brain injuries involve more than an impact of the brain against our own skull. TBI and concussion can also occur if a foreign object enters your skull, such as a bullet or shrapnel.

Concussion treatment

Treatment for a concussion depends on the severity of your symptoms. Most concussions can be healed at home or with conservative medical approaches.

Treatment can include:

· Over-the-counter pain relievers.

· Drinking plenty of water. Concussions can cause nausea and vomiting, which lead to dehydration.

· Getting enough rest.

· Taking a break from sports and other strenuous activities.

· Not driving a vehicle right away. This includes cars and bikes, or anything that requires steering. Your balance, focus, and coordination may be impaired following a concussion.

· Avoiding alcohol while recovering. Alcohol can slow recovery and have adverse interactions with certain medications. Talk to your doctor about whether or not drinking is okay, and when.

· Brain rest. Minimize use of electronics (including TV, cell phone, computer) to allow your brain time to heal. Bright lights and noises can worsen concussion and recovery symptoms.

You might be evaluated for surgery or other medical procedures if you have:

· bleeding in the brain

· swelling of the brain

· other serious injury to the brain

Other concussion complications

Other long-term complications include:

· Post-concussion syndrome. This causes you to experience concussion symptoms for weeks (or even months) instead of just a few days. If concussion symptoms last longer than 3 months, this is called persistent post concussive syndrome. It is more likely to occur in those with multiple TBIs, or when athletes return to playing too soon in recovery.

· Post-traumatic headaches. These can last for a few months.

· Post-traumatic vertigo. This condition causes dizziness and can also occur for months after the injury.

· Brain injury or damage. People with multiple TBIs are more likely to experience long-term adverse effects in the brain.

How to prevent concussions

You can reduce your risk of getting a concussion by taking some basic safety precautions.

This includes:

· wearing a properly fitted helmet.

· using athletic safety gear

· following safety guidelines in sports, and when operating vehicles or equipment

· taking plenty of time to recover from injuries.

Outlook

Concussions are a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and most concussed people recover fully with no long-term complications.

Concussions often heal on their own with rest. It may be necessary to take a break from sports, school, or work while recovering, or receive accommodation. Some people take over-the-counter pain medications to help with symptoms.

It’s important that all head injuries are evaluated by a doctor. In case of serious or prolonged symptoms, further examination and imaging may be needed.

Some concussion symptoms may take weeks to months to disappear. In rare instances, people experience emotional, mental, or physical changes that are more lasting. Repeat concussions can increase the chances of permanent brain damage.