A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury (TBI) that may occur when the head hits an object, or a moving object strikes the head.
It can affect how your brain works for a while. A concussion can lead to a bad headache, changes in alertness, or loss of consciousness.
A concussion can result from a fall, sports activities, and car accidents. A big movement of the brain (called jarring) in any direction can cause you to lose alertness (become unconscious). How long you stay unconscious may be a sign of the severity of the concussion.
However, concussions don't always involve a loss of consciousness. Most people who have a concussion never pass out, but they may describe seeing all white, black, or stars. You can have a concussion and not realize it.
Symptoms of a concussion can range from mild to severe. They can include:
The following are emergency symptoms of a concussion. Seek immediate medical care if there are:
Head injuries that cause a concussion often occur with injury to the neck and spine. Take special care when moving people who have had a head injury.
While recovering from a concussion, you may:
The doctor will perform a physical exam and check your nervous system. There may be changes in your pupil size, thinking ability, coordination, and reflexes.
Tests that may be performed include:
A more serious brain injury that involves bleeding or brain damage must be treated in a hospital.
Healing or recovering from a concussion takes time. It may take days, weeks, or even months for a child's condition to improve. Parents and caregivers must learn how to treat the child's symptoms, how to monitor for problems, and when to allow the child to return to normal activities.
Healing or recovering from a concussion takes time.
Long-term problems are rare but may include:
Call your health care provider if a head injury causes changes in alertness or produces any other worrisome symptoms.
If symptoms do not go away or are not improving after 2 or 3 weeks, talk to your doctor.
Call the doctor if the following symptoms occur:
Although you can't entirely prevent injuries in children, parents can take some simple steps to keep their children from getting head injuries.
To prevent head injuries in adults:
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Biros MH, Heegard WG. Head injury. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 38.
Updated by: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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