Concussion

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KEY POINTS

• A concussion is an injury to your brain that can change the way your brain works for a short time. A concussion happens when a fall or blow to your head or body severely shakes your brain.
• The treatment for a concussion is rest. This means you may need to miss school, work, or other activities. Your healthcare provider may advise you to limit activities that require thinking and concentration. Stay away from any activities that put you at risk for another injury.
• To help prevent a concussion, always wear your seat belt when riding in a car, and wear proper protective head gear for sports activities.

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What is a concussion?

A concussion is an injury to your brain that can change the way your brain works for a short time. Most people who have concussions are better within a week, but some people have symptoms that last for months.

What is the cause?

A concussion happens when a fall or blow to your head or body severely shakes your brain. The impact can cause brain tissue and nerve fibers to move, stretch, or even tear. A concussion also causes chemical changes in the brain that can last a week or more.

Concussions most often happen as a result of sports such as football, gymnastics, ice hockey, or soccer. You can also get a concussion if you are hit on the head or in a car accident.

What are the symptoms?

Some people with a concussion may lose consciousness (pass out) for a few seconds at the time of the injury. Other symptoms may start right away, or may not start for several hours to days after the injury. Symptoms include:

• Headache
• Confusion or trouble remembering
• Sleepiness or trouble falling asleep
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness, loss of balance, or poor coordination
• Weakness
• Seizures
• Blurred vision or sensitivity to light
• Slowed reaction times
• Mood swings, irritability, or depression

If someone may also have a neck injury, call 911 right away. Do NOT turn the head, shoulders, or neck. Moving the neck may injure the spinal cord and cause paralysis. If the person is wearing a helmet, do not remove it.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms, activities, and medical history, and examine you. You may have tests such as:

• X-rays to check your spine
• CT scan, which uses X-rays and a computer to show detailed pictures of the brain
• MRI, which uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to show detailed pictures of the brain
• Tests to check your vision, balance, memory, and reaction time.

You may be tested several times over the next few days to check for bleeding or swelling in your brain.

How is it treated?

The treatment for a concussion is rest. This means you may need to miss school, work, or other activities.

Your healthcare provider may advise you to limit activities that require thinking and concentration, such as working on a computer, studying, watching TV, texting, or playing video games, until your symptoms are gone. Your brain needs to rest.

If you were injured while playing sports, you should not return to play until a healthcare provider experienced in treating concussions tells you that it is safe. Stay away from any activities that put you at risk for another injury. A second concussion before the first one has healed could be very serious.

Headache may be treated with acetaminophen. Acetaminophen may cause liver damage or other problems. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your provider, don't take more than 3000 milligrams (mg) in 24 hours. To make sure you don’t take too much, check other medicines you take to see if they also contain acetaminophen. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, you should not take this medicine for more than 10 days. Do not take pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin. These medicines may increase your risk of bleeding.

Your provider may prescribe medicine to treat other symptoms such as seizures or vomiting.

How can I take care of myself?

Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider. In addition:

• Rest as directed by your provider. Rest from all school and work activities, including reading, television, and any other screen time (like email, texting, and Web surfing).
• If you have nausea, you may want to rest your stomach, but make sure that you keep getting fluids. You can do this by eating soft, plain foods and drinking clear liquids. Clear liquids include water, weak tea, fruit juice mixed half and half with water, Jell-O, or clear soft drinks without caffeine (like lemon-lime soda). Good food choices are soda crackers, toast, plain noodles, or rice, cooked cereal, applesauce, and bananas. Eat small amounts slowly and avoid foods that are hard to digest or may irritate your stomach, such as foods with acid (like tomatoes or oranges), spicy or fatty food, meats, and raw vegetables. You may be able to go back to your normal diet in 3 days or so.

Ask your healthcare provider:

• How and when you will get your test results
• How long it will take to recover
• If there activities you should avoid and when you can return to your normal activities
• How to take care of yourself at home
• What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if you have them

Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.

How can I help prevent a concussion?

Things you can do to help prevent a concussion include:

• Always wear your seat belt when riding in a car.
• Wear proper protective head gear that fits well in contact sports such as football or hockey.
• In sports like bicycling, white-water kayaking, and rollerblading, wear a helmet.