A
concussion is classified as a traumatic brain injury that may be brought on by
a fall or some type of impact to the head. In some cases the injury may be the
cause of a severe accident that could have seriously jarred or shook the brain
inside the skull.
Not
everyone who suffers from a concussion passes out. In fact, some individuals
may demonstrate some obvious signs like forgetting events that preceded the
injury or passing out but others may not. Even though there may be bruises or
cuts on the head or face, no other visible signs of a brain injury may be
apparent.
With
complete rest, most individuals are likely to recover but recovery times can
vary widely from a few hours to a few weeks. Symptoms of a concussion can also
range widely from mild to severe and can last from a few hours to a few months.
If any of the following eleven symptoms are noticed, it is important to seek
medical assistance.
1.
Thinking and remembering
Experiencing
problems with thinking and remembering is perhaps the most obvious sign of a
concussion. Individuals who have suffered a concussion will oftentimes demonstrate
this symptoms more than others. For instance it may be a case of retrograde amnesia where events preceding the
injury are forgotten or ante retrograde amnesia where memories formed after the
incident are lost.
Individuals
who suffer from a concussion may also exhibit signs of confusion and some
disorientation. For some individuals, the case may be that they may not think
clearly and be found asking the same question repetitively. Some people may
have difficulty concentrating, or may not be able to retain new information. Likewise
some people may also experience short term memory impairment or exhibit a
slowed processing speed.
In cases
where issues with thinking and remembering persist for a prolonged period of
time, the condition is referred to as post-concussion syndrome and takes the
patient longer to recover from their initial injury.
2.
Nausea and vomiting
Nausea is a
feeling of uneasiness in the stomach that can usually precedes vomiting.
Vomiting is the voluntary or involuntary emptying of the stomach contents
through the mouth. While nausea and vomiting are not diseases themselves they
are often the symptoms of various underlying conditions.
In the
cases of a concussion, individuals may also experience some sort of nausea
after the[SA1] [SA2] injury. Others may have vomiting
accompanying nausea. Many people experience an overall feeling of sickness.
On their
own, nausea and vomiting are harmless but can be indicative of a more serious
condition. If vomiting continues for
more than one day, individuals are advised to consult their medical health
practitioner to determine the cause.
3.
Headaches and dizziness
Since a
concussion impacts the head, it is very likely that sufferers will experience
headaches and dizziness. Headaches occurring immediately after a head injury
can usually clear out after a few minutes or days but some others may persist
for much longer. These long term headaches are called post-concussion headaches
for individuals who have suffered a head injury.
Headaches
of these kind are also almost always accompanied by spells of dizziness. The
dizziness is often described as a swaying or rocking sensation and a feeling of
light headedness similar to the sensation of feeling drunk. This dizziness
experienced after sustaining a head injury is also referred to as post traumatic
vertigo. Such dizziness may be more
recognizable than other symptoms since it only happens when the head is placed
in a certain position.
4.
Fuzzy or blurry vision
Concussions
can also bring on a number of problems associated with vision. This is because
so many of the connections within the brain are directly involved with the
process of vision. For instance, blurry or fuzzy vision is a common complaint
while some people may also experience reading difficulties with words appearing
to move. Sometimes individuals may also
complain about seeing double or have aching eyes. Headaches may also be
associated with visual tasks such as writing, threading a needle or working on
the computer.
Some
individuals may also have difficulty in maintaining prolonged visual contact
with others, or experience difficulty focusing on one particular object. In
some severe cases, processing visual information may take longer than usual and
slow down the response time to tasks.
However,
since visual changes can sometimes be subtle, people may pass them off as being
fatigue related or brain fog. It is
important to get your eyes checked by a professional optometrist after a
concussion.
5.
Sensitivity to sound
Along with
vision problems individuals may not only suffer from sensitivity to light but
also noise as well. As a result of the concussion, an individual’s auditory
system can become very sensitive to the noise around them and they may
experience discomfort with a constant ringing in the ears. Some may experience greater
difficulty with everyday tasks like going to the grocery store, going to
restaurants or even attending social gatherings.
In more
severe cases, individuals have been reported to stay at home to avoid the
assault of the overwhelming noise around them. These individuals may only
prefer to go to places that are less crowded or at times when they are less
noisy.
6.
Slurred speech
A
concussion can cause a number of communication problems depending on the
location of the brain damage. If the injury sustained impacts the part of the
brain that controls speech, then certain speech disorders or language disorders
may result.
As such a concussion
has the possibility of weakening the muscles that control speech and voice, or
affect their coordination. The result of this impairment could be slurred
speech. The result may be speech becoming slower, slurred and garbled.
Individuals may also have problems with intonation or inflection of voice and
expressing proper enunciation of words.
7.
Balance problems
A common
symptom associated with a concussion is experiencing balance problems. Because
dizziness and disequilibrium are common symptoms of the condition, balance in
such individuals is also impacted. Since the ability of the body to keep it
centered over the feet requires not only physical strength and coordination,
but also cognitive ability, people suffering from a concussion may have a hard
time doing so.
Poor
balance can also increase the risk of falling and sustaining another injury.
Maintaining balance while sitting and standing is equally important for all
kinds of daily activities.
8.
Excessive fatigue
Healing
after a concussion may take a significant amount of energy. This is because an
uninjured brain can perform various activities that are physical, emotional,
mental, or others throughout the day and still have reserve energy left.
However, when the same brain suffers an injury, it takes more to deal with
emotional and mental issues leaving little for physical activity.
Most of the
energy may be used up performing the most basic tasks just to get through the
day and it is an overextension to expect the brain to deal with everything
else. As such, individuals may find themselves excessively fatigued after a
concussion.
9.
Swift mood changes
Closely related to excessive fatigue is the
symptom of irritability and swift mood changes. Because energy reserves of
individuals after a concussion may be very limited, when they push too much,
they tend to reach overload faster. The extreme fatigue can cause the brain and
body to shut down causing an emotional reaction.
Emotional
imbalances will likely trigger sudden mood changes and irritability. In
addition, mood inconsistencies may also be brought on by damage to the part of
the brain responsible for regulating emotions. Some people may experience
emotions quickly and intensely but for a short span, meaning they may get angry
very easily but also get over it very quickly.
Others,
however, may be on a constant emotional roller coaster with feelings
fluctuating from happiness to sadness and then sudden anger. Temper outbursts
and frequent irritability may become fairly common.
10.
Unusual sleep behavior
People may
also suffer from sleep problems following a concussion. Not being able to sleep
well can further aggravate other symptoms such as fatigue, irritability and an
overall sense of malaise among individuals. The same can also interfere with
work performance, everyday tasks and may worsen over time.
Sleep
problems are not restricted to the inability to sleep alone but can also
include issues like extreme drowsiness and excessive daytime sleepiness. Some
people may experience mixed up sleep patterns by sleeping more or less than
usual and may not feel well rested even after getting enough hours of sleep.
11.
Slowed reaction to stimuli
Reaction
time can often be prolonged after a concussion. In many cases, this particular
symptom may last longer after other typical head injury symptoms have
disappeared. The delay in reaction time is directly related to the severity of
the condition.
It is
important to remember that rest is very important for recovery after a
concussion. Proper rest allows the brain to heal but ignoring any of the symptoms
can often make them worse and prolong the recovery period.
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