A concussion is an injury to the brain caused by a blow to the head. A concussion may cause you to become temporarily confused or disoriented, have memory loss (amnesia), or become unconscious.
A concussion occurs when a blow to the head causes shaking, jarring, stretching, swelling, or tearing of brain tissue and delicate nerve fibers.
If you have had a concussion you may have any of the following symptoms:
You may have these symptoms, called post-concussive syndrome, for several days or weeks after the injury.
Your health care provider will examine you and find out what happened. If you can't remember what happened, he or she may need to get this information from other people saw the accident. Your health care provider will do a neurologic examination, testing your strength, sensation, balance, reflexes, and memory. He or she will also look at your eyes with a flashlight to see if your pupils are the same size. You may be tested again several times during the next hour to detect any worsening of brain function, which might occur if you have any bleeding or swelling in the brain.
Your provider may do a special x-ray called a computed tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of your head to be sure there is no damage to your brain. Depending on how your head injury occurred, you may have neck x-rays to check your spine.
The treatment for a concussion is rest. Headache may be treated with a mild pain reliever. Nausea may be treated with a medicine.
If you have had a concussion, you need to be watched by a friend or relative for 8 to 12 hours. You should be awakened and checked every 2 to 4 hours while sleeping. Symptoms to report to your health care provider include:
If you are stable and recovering during the next 24 hours, you should rest for an additional day or two. As your symptoms go away, you can begin to go back to your usual daily routine. However, you should stay away from any activities that would risk reinjury. A second concussion before the first one has healed could be very serious. Your health care provider will tell you when it is safe to return to sports and other activities.
Using proper equipment (such as helmets and seat belts) and following proper techniques in sports such as football and soccer are the best ways to prevent concussions. When accidents do happen, however, concussions can be severe. It is especially important to understand that receiving a second blow to the head before the first injury is fully healed can be fatal, even if the second injury seems minor.
Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
HIA File BRN3406F.HTM Release 9.0/2006
Copyright © 2006 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.