Concussion – Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

Your doctor will evaluate your signs and symptoms, review your medical history, and conduct a neurological examination. Signs and symptoms of a concussion may not appear until hours or days after the injury.

Tests your doctor may perform or recommend include a neurological examination, cognitive testing and imaging tests.

Neurological examination

After your doctor asks detailed questions about your injury, he or she may perform a neurological examination. This evaluation includes checking your:

• Vision
• Hearing
• Strength and sensation
• Balance
• Coordination
• Reflexes

Cognitive testing

Your doctor may conduct several tests to evaluate your thinking (cognitive) skills during a neurological examination. Testing may evaluate several factors, including your:

• Memory
• Concentration
• Ability to recall information

Imaging tests

Brain imaging may be recommended for some people with signs and symptoms such as severe headaches, seizures, repeated vomiting or symptoms that are becoming worse. Brain imaging may determine whether the injury is severe and has caused bleeding or swelling in the skull.

A cranial computerized tomography (CT) scan is the standard test in adults to assess the brain right after injury. A CT scan uses a series of X-rays to obtain cross-sectional images of your skull and brain.

For children with suspected concussion, CT scans are only used if there are specific criteria met, such as the type of injury or signs of a skull fracture. This is to avoid radiation exposure in young children.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to identify changes in your brain or to diagnose complications that may occur after a concussion.

An MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce detailed images of your brain.

Observation

You may need to be hospitalized overnight for observation after a concussion.

If your doctor agrees that you may be observed at home, someone should stay with you and check on you for at least 24 hours to ensure that your symptoms aren’t worsening.

Your caregiver may need to awaken you regularly to make sure you can awaken normally.

Treatment

There are steps you can take to help your brain heal and speed recovery.

Physical and mental rest

In the first few days after a concussion, relative rest is the most appropriate way to allow your brain to recover. Your doctor will recommend that you physically and mentally rest to recover from a concussion.

Relative rest, which includes limiting activities that require thinking and mental concentration, is recommended for the first two days after a concussion. However, complete rest, such as lying in a dark room and avoiding all stimuli, does not help recovery and is not recommended. In the first 48 hours, you should overall limit activities that require high mental concentration — such as playing video games, watching TV, doing schoolwork, reading, texting or using a computer — if these activities cause your symptoms to worsen.

You also should avoid physical activities that increase any of your symptoms, such as general physical exertion, sports or any vigorous movements, until these activities no longer provoke your symptoms.

After a period of relative rest, it’s recommended that you gradually increase daily activities such as screen time if you can tolerate them without triggering symptoms. You can start both physical and mental activities at levels that do not cause a major worsening of symptoms. Light exercise and physical activity as tolerated starting a few days after injury have been shown to speed recovery; however, you should avoid any activities that have a high risk of exposure to another head impact until you are fully recovered.

Your doctor may recommend that you have shortened school days or workdays, take breaks during the day, or have modified or reduced school workloads or work assignments as you recover from a concussion. Your doctor may recommend different therapies as well, such as rehabilitation for vision, rehabilitation for balance problems, or cognitive rehabilitation for problems with thinking and memory.

Returning to routine activity

As your symptoms improve, you may gradually add more activities that involve thinking, such as doing more schoolwork or work assignments, or increasing your time spent at school or work.

Your doctor will tell you when it’s safe for you to resume light physical activity. Usually after the first few days after injury, you’re allowed to do light physical activity — such as riding a stationary bike or light jogging — before your symptoms are completely gone, so long as it doesn’t significantly worsen symptoms.

Eventually, once all signs and symptoms of concussion have resolved, you and your doctor can discuss the steps you’ll need to take to safely play sports again. Resuming sports too soon increases the risk of another brain injury.

Pain relief

Headaches may occur in the days or weeks after a concussion. To manage pain, ask your doctor if it’s safe to take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Avoid other pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and aspirin, as these medications may increase the risk of bleeding.

Clinical trials

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.

Preparing for your appointment

It’s important for anyone who has a head injury to be evaluated by a doctor, even if emergency care isn’t required.

If your child has received a head injury that concerns you, call your child’s doctor immediately. Depending on the signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend seeking immediate medical care.

Here’s some information to help you get ready for and make the most of your medical appointment.

What you can do

• Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions or instructions. The most important thing for you to do while waiting for your appointment is to avoid activities that cause or worsen your symptoms. Avoid sports or vigorous physical activities and minimize difficult, stressful or prolonged mental tasks. At the time you make the appointment, ask what steps you or your child should take to encourage recovery or prevent re-injury. Experts recommend that athletes not return to play until they have been medically evaluated.
• List any symptoms you or your child has been experiencing and how long they’ve been occurring.
• List key medical information, including other medical problems for which you or your child is being treated and any history of previous head injuries. Also write down the names of any medications, vitamins, supplements or other natural remedies you or your child is taking.
• Take a family member or friend along. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who comes with you may recall something that you missed or forgot.
• Write down questions to ask your doctor.

For a concussion, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• Do I have a concussion?
• What kinds of tests are needed?
• What treatment approach do you recommend?
• How soon will symptoms begin to improve?
• What is the risk of future concussions?
• What is the risk of long-term complications?
• When will it be safe to return to competitive sports?
• When will it be safe to resume vigorous exercise?
• Is it safe to return to school or work?
• Is it safe to drive a car or operate power equipment?
• I have other medical problems. How can they be managed together?
• Should a specialist be consulted? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover seeing a specialist? You may need to call your insurance provider for some of these answers.
• Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend?

In addition to the questions that you’ve prepared to ask your doctor, don’t hesitate to ask questions that come up during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Being ready to answer your doctor’s questions may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk about in-depth.

You or your child should be prepared to answer the following questions about the injury and related signs and symptoms:

• Do you play contact sports?
• How did you get this injury?
• What symptoms did you experience immediately after the injury?
• Do you remember what happened right before and after the injury?
• Did you lose consciousness after the injury?
• Did you have seizures?
• Have you experienced nausea or vomiting since the injury?
• Have you had a headache? How soon after the injury did it start?
• Have you noticed any difficulty with physical coordination since the injury?
• Have you had any problems with memory or concentration since the injury?
• Have you noticed any sensitivity or problems with your vision and hearing?
• Have you had any mood changes, including irritability, anxiety or depression?
• Have you felt lethargic or easily fatigued since the injury?
• Are you having trouble sleeping or waking from sleep?
• Have you noticed changes in your sense of smell or taste?
• Do you have any dizziness or vertigo?
• What other signs or symptoms are you concerned about?
• Have you had any previous head injuries?

What you can do in the meantime

The most important thing to do before your appointment is to avoid activities that significantly increase your symptoms and those that have an increased risk of another head impact. This includes avoiding sports or other physical activities that increase your heart rate, such as running, or require vigorous muscle contractions, such as weightlifting.

Gradually resume your normal daily activities, including screen time, as you’re able to tolerate them without significantly worsening symptoms.

If you have a headache, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may ease the pain. Avoid taking other pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) if you suspect you’ve had a concussion. These may increase the risk of bleeding.

Feb. 22, 2020

Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatments, & Recovery

What Is a Concussion?

The most common and least serious type of traumatic brain injury is called a concussion. The word comes from the Latin concutere, which means “to shake violently.” A concussion is most often caused by a sudden direct blow or bump to the head.

According to the CDC, between 2001 and 2009, an estimated 173,285 people under age 19 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for concussions related to sports and recreation activities. Other causes include car and bicycle accidents, work-related injuries, falls, and fighting.

Concussion Causes and Risk Factors

The brain is made of soft tissue. It’s cushioned by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. When you have a blow or bump to your head, the impact can jolt your brain. Sometimes, it literally causes it to move around in your head. Traumatic brain injuries can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves.

The result is your brain doesn’t function as it should. If you’ve had a concussion, vision may be disturbed, you may lose equilibrium, or you may fall unconscious. In short, the brain is confused.

Some things increase your risk for a concussion, including:

• Falls, particularly in children and older adults
• Playing a contact sport
• Lack of proper safety gear or supervision for contact sports 
• Car, motorcycle, bicycle, and other accidents that cause a blow to the head
• Being hit, struck with an object, or other physical abuse
• Military service
• An earlier concussion

Concussion Symptoms

Concussions can be tricky to diagnose. Though you may have a visible cut or bruise on your head, you can’t see a concussion. Signs may not appear for days or weeks after the injury. Some symptoms last for just seconds; others may linger.

Concussions are fairly common. Some estimates say a mild brain trauma is sustained every 21 seconds in the U.S. But it’s important to recognize the signs of a concussion so you can take the proper steps to treat the injury.

There are some common physical, mental, and emotional symptoms a person may display following a concussion. Signs of traumatic brain injury include:

• Confusion or feeling dazed
• Clumsiness
• Slurred speech
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Balance problems or dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to noise
• Sluggishness
• Ringing in ears
• Irritability or other behavior or personality changes
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of memory
• Fatigue or sleepiness
• Loss of consciousness
• Forgetfulness such as repeating yourself   
• Slowed response to questions
• Problems with sleep
• Depression
• Problems with taste or smell

Concussions in Children

Because their heads are disproportionately large compared to the rest of their body, concussions often occur in young children. As kids enter adolescence, they experience rapid height and weight gain. Both are factors that make them more prone to accidents than adults.

If a child has a concussion, an adult should monitor them for the first 24 hours. Don’t give medications, including aspirin, which may cause bleeding, to a child without talking to a doctor first.

It’s important to watch for behavioral changes. Young children, especially, may not be able to fully communicate what they’re feeling, so it is critical to watch them closely. Symptoms of concussions in children include: 

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Problems with balance
• Upset stomach or vomiting
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Mental fogginess or slowed thinking
• Problems with memory, concentration, or focus
• Feeling more irritable, sad, nervous, or emotional than usual
• Problems with sleep

Types of Concussions

Doctors rank, or grade, the severity of concussions based on things like loss of consciousness, amnesia, and loss of equilibrium. There are three grades:

• Grade 1: Mild, with symptoms that last less than 15 minutes and involve no loss of consciousness
• Grade 2: Moderate, with symptoms that last longer than 15 minutes and involve no loss of consciousness
• Grade 3: Severe, in which the person loses consciousness, sometimes for just a few seconds

Concussion Diagnosis

Most people with concussions fully recover with appropriate treatment. But because a concussion can be serious, safeguarding yourself is important. Here are a few steps to take:

Seek medical attention. A health care professional can decide how serious the concussion is and whether you require treatment.

If you have a grade 1 or grade 2 concussion, wait until symptoms are gone before returning to normal activities. That could take several minutes, hours, days, or even a week.

If a person has lost consciousness, that’s a grade 3 concussion that needs a doctor’s immediate evaluation and care. They’ll ask how the head injury happened and discuss the symptoms. The doctor may also ask you simple questions such as “Where do you live?,” “What is your name?,” or “Who is the president?” The doctor asks these questions to evaluate memory and concentration skills.

The doctor may test coordination and reflexes, which are both functions of the central nervous system. The doctor may also order a CT scan or an MRI to rule out bleeding or other serious brain injury.

Concussion Treatment and Home Remedies

If you don’t need hospitalization, the doctor will give you instructions to follow.  Experts recommend follow-up medical attention within 24 to 72 hours if symptoms worsen. To recover at home, you should:

• Take a break. If your concussion was sustained during athletic activity, stop play and sit it out. Your brain needs time to properly heal, so rest is key. Definitely do not resume play the same day. Athletes and children should be closely monitored by coaches upon resuming play. If you resume play too soon, you risk a greater chance of having a second concussion, which can compound the damage. The American Academy of Neurology has issued guidelines about resuming activities after a concussion.
• Guard against repeat concussions. Repeat concussions cause cumulative effects on the brain. Successive concussions can have devastating consequences, including brain swelling, permanent brain damage, long-term disabilities, or even death. Don’t return to normal activities if you still have symptoms. Get a doctor’s clearance so you can return to work or play with confidence.
• Treat pain with aspirin-free medications. Your doctor will prescribe a medication to relieve pain or recommend an over-the-counter option.

Concussion Prevention

A concussion is unexpected, so it is tough to prevent. But there are several commonsense precautions you can take to lessen the possibility of traumatic brain injury.

• Wear protective equipment. Participation in high-contact, high-risk sports such as football, hockey, boxing, and rugby can increase the likelihood of a concussion. Skateboarding, snowboarding, horseback riding, and rollerblading are also a threat to your brain’s health. Wearing headgear, padding, and mouth and eye guards can help safeguard against traumatic head injuries. Wearing a bike helmet can lower the risk of traumatic head injury by 85%. There is also a new C-shaped collar-like device called Q-Collar which can be worn by athletes. It applies compressive force to the neck and increases blood volume to help reduce movement of the brain, which may occur because of hits to the head. Make sure that any equipment fits you correctly and is well-maintained.
• Drive and ride smart. Always wear a seatbelt, obey posted speed limits, and don’t use drugs or alcohol, because they can impair reaction time.
• Don’t fight. Concussions are often sustained during an assault, and more men than women report traumatic head injuries.
• Reduce trip and fall hazards in your home. Clear clutter from floors and hallways and make sure your home is well-lighted.
• Exercise regularly. It can give you stronger leg muscles and better balance, which can help stave off falls.
• Use home safety measures to protect your children. Install window guards and block stairways.

Concussion – NHS

Concussion is a temporary injury to the brain caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head.

It usually only lasts up to a few days or weeks, although it sometimes needs emergency treatment and some people can have longer-lasting problems.

Signs and symptoms of concussion

Signs of a concussion usually appear within a few minutes or hours of a head injury.

But occasionally they may not be obvious for a few days, so it’s important to look out for any problems in the days following a head injury.

Symptoms include:

• a headache that does not go away or is not relieved with painkillers
• dizziness
• feeling or being sick
• memory loss – you may not remember what happened before or after the injury
• clumsiness or trouble with balance
• unusual behaviour – you may become irritated easily or have sudden mood swings
• feeling stunned, dazed or confused
• changes in your vision – such as blurred vision, double vision or “seeing stars”
• being knocked out or struggling to stay awake

Symptoms in children

Concussion can be harder to spot in babies and young children. Important symptoms to look out for are changes in their normal behaviour after a head injury, such as:

• crying a lot
• differences in their feeding or sleeping habits
• a loss of interest in people or objects

What to do if you think you might have concussion

Treat a minor head injury at home

You do not usually need to get immediate medical advice if you only have mild symptoms that do not last long after a head injury, such as:

• a headache that goes away on its own or is relieved by painkillers
• slight dizziness
• feeling sick
• being a bit dazed

You probably do not have concussion, and can follow the advice about treating a minor head injury at home.

Call NHS 111 for advice if you’re not sure if you need medical help.

When to go to hospital

Go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department if you’ve injured your head and have:

• woken up after being knocked out
• problems with your memory
• a headache that does not go away
• repeatedly being sick since the injury
• changes in your behaviour, such as becoming more irritable
• had an operation on your brain in the past or are taking blood-thinning medicine such as warfarin
• been drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs

In these cases, you should be checked by a health professional trained in assessing head injuries. They’ll decide if you need a brain scan to rule out a serious brain injury.

When to call 999

Call 999 for an ambulance if someone has injured their head and has:

• been knocked out and has not woken up
• difficulty staying awake
• problems with understanding, speaking, writing, walking or balance
• numbness or weakness in part of their body
• problems with their vision
• clear fluid coming from their ears or nose
• bleeding from their ears or bruising behind one or both ears
• a black eye with no obvious damage around the eyes
• a fit (seizure)
• hit their head in a serious accident, such as a car crash

Also call for an ambulance if someone needs to go to hospital but you cannot get them there safely.

Recovering from concussion

If you’re diagnosed with concussion in hospital, you’ll be able to go home when any serious brain injury has been ruled out and you’re starting to feel better.

Most people feel back to normal within a few days or weeks of going home. But some people, especially children, can take longer to recover.

Things you can do to help your recovery include:

• getting plenty of rest and avoiding stressful situations
• asking someone to stay with you for the first 48 hours so they can look out for problems such as changes in your behaviour or difficulty concentrating or understanding
• taking paracetamol or ibuprofen if you have a headache – do not take aspirin because it could cause your injury to bleed
• avoiding alcohol
• when you’re feeling better, gradually increasing how much activity you do each day – do as much as you can without your symptoms coming back
• avoiding a return to things like work, college, school, driving or riding a bike until you feel you’ve recovered
• avoiding sports or strenuous exercise for at least a week, and avoiding contact sports for at least 3 weeks

Speak to a GP if you still have symptoms after 2 weeks or you’re unsure about returning to activities such as work or sports.

Get medical help straight away if you develop any symptoms that mean you should go to hospital or call 999.

After effects of concussion

In some people, concussion symptoms can last a few months or more. This is known as post-concussion syndrome.

Possible symptoms include:

• headaches
• dizziness
• problems with memory or concentration
• unsteadiness
• depression, anxiety and changes in behaviour

See a GP if you still have symptoms after 3 months. They may be able to recommend treatments for some of the symptoms, or they may refer you to a specialist.

The charity Headway has more information on minor head injury and concussion that you might find useful if you’re having long-term problems.

Preventing concussion

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent concussion, but there are some simple things you can do that may reduce your chance of a head injury.

These include:

• wearing the recommended equipment when taking part in a contact sport, such as rugby or boxing
• making sure any contact sport you or your child are taking part in is supervised by a properly qualified and trained person
• wearing a seatbelt when driving
• wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle, bicycle or horse

It’s important to avoid head injuries as repeated concussions or blows to the head have been linked to serious problems, including a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Read more about how to prevent head injuries.

Page last reviewed: 11 June 2020
Next review due: 11 June 2023

Concussion Self-Care Treatment Exercises & Tips

Posted on: July 27, 2020

By: Paige Carroll, PT, DPT, CBIS

Have you or someone you know been recently diagnosed with a concussion? If so, you may be asking what are the best therapies to manage concussion symptoms while also staying at home? Good news – there is plenty you can do at home to promote a healthy recovery!

Watch the videos below to learn five concussion recovery exercises that you can do at home

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that causes a temporary disruption in brain function and communication. Common symptoms include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, visual disturbances, anxiety, irritability, changes in sleep patterns and trouble concentrating. In the early stages following injury, mild to moderate rest is best followed by a progressive return to activity.

6 Easy Self-Care Strategies for People with a Concussion

Follow this helpful list of concussion therapies that you can do almost anywhere. Like any new therapy program, we highly suggest that you first consult with a certified concussion physical therapist or a doctor before trying these out at home.

1. Staying Connected and Keeping Yourself Busy

Not all activities have been cancelled! These can lessen the sense of isolation you may be feeling.

• Audio books
• Podcasts
• Coloring and crafts
• Gardening
• Baking and cooking
• Puzzles
• Board and card games
• Scavenger hunts
• Online support groups
• Send happy mail
• Call or video chat with a friend or family member

2. Pace Yourself Throughout the Day

Working remotely and online school means more screen time, increasing cognitive demand.

• Take frequent breaks
• Print out assignments when possible
• Work in quiet areas to reduce distractions
• Wear blue light blocking lenses
• Use blue light filters on devices
• Practice upright posture
• Use a planner and lists
• Work on one thing at a time

3. Incorporate Daily Exercise into Your Lifestyle

Sub-symptom aerobic exercise can help improve brain oxygenation and reduce recovery time. Keeping the neck gently moving can help with potential whiplash injury and cervicogenic symptoms.

• Daily walks
• Track steps and set a daily goal
• Stationary bike
• Utilize fitness apps and YouTube – many are offering discounts or promotion codes
• Light postural exercises
• Gentle cervical stretching and active range of motion

4. Find Your Inner Zen

These uncertain times are stressful, so take control of your mental health too!

• Practice mindfulness and meditation
• Apps
• Journaling Ideas

5. Maintain Proper Sleep Hygiene

These habits can help facilitate neurological recovery and boost energy and mood.

• No electronics 1 hour before bed
• No caffeine 4 hours prior to bed
• Try using a sound machine or binaural beats
• Follow a consistent sleep routine
• Limit naps

6. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Due to the brain and gut connection, modifying your diet can help improve your brain health and reduce inflammation.

• Adequate hydration
• Reduce intake of red meats, refined sugars and processed foods
• Enjoy good fats such as coconut oil, avocados and flaxseed and omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and herring
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables

It is important to know that each concussion is unique, but whether you are a student, teleworking or a parent/caregiver, these self-help tips should aid in symptom management while at home. Be sure to seek medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen. Virtual healthcare or an in-clinic evaluation may be a great option while social distancing to allow for a detailed assessment and individualized plan of care.

A Parent’s Guide to Concussions

We’re a national leader in the care and management of concussions.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine wants you to be aware of concussions and how to keep your young athlete safe. Safety begins by educating yourself!

Concussion Identification:

What is a concussion?

A concussion may be caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head or by any fall or hit that jars the brain. This “invisible” injury disrupts the brain’s normal physiology which can affect mental stamina and function, causing the brain to work longer and harder to complete even simple tasks. A concussion may involve loss of consciousness (being “knocked out”), but the majority do not. Ultimately, ALL concussions are serious because they are brain injuries!

How do I tell if my child has sustained a concussion?

A concussion can affect a child in many different ways: physically, cognitively, emotionally, and by disturbing sleep. The table below indicates common symptoms for each category.

Common Concussion Symptoms

While a blow to the head may not seem serious immediately, concussion symptoms can develop upon impact or up to 48 hours after the incident. Ignoring any signs or symptoms of a concussion is putting the child’s long- and short-term health at risk.

Underreporting of concussions: The importance of honesty.

Even though concussions are very serious and potentially life threatening to the young athlete, studies show that less than 50% of high school athletes will report their concussions. Even after being diagnosed, many athletes feel pressured to say they do not have symptoms when they still do. This is dangerous and should always be avoided. Almost all athletes who have died or suffered serious complications from repeated concussions did not report their continued concussion symptoms to their parents, athletic trainer, or doctor. Therefore, it is vitally important that parents, coaches, and athletes recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions and encourage honesty in reporting them.

Is it dangerous for my child to play sports with a concussion?

Yes, without question. Second impact syndrome is a catastrophic event that can occur when a second blow to the head happens before an athlete has completely recovered from a concussion. This second impact, which may be even a minor blow, causes brain swelling, resulting in severe consequences such as brain damage, paralysis, and even death. This condition occurs only in youth and adolescents up to age 21. Therefore, no child should be allowed to participate in any physical activity if he or she has sustained a possible concussion. In addition, no child should return to participation after sustaining a concussion before he or she is cleared by a qualified medical professional.

Concussion Management:

If my child sustains a concussion, what should I do?

First, the child should be monitored for worsening signs and symptoms in the 24 to 48 hours following the injury. If any of the following danger signs present themselves, the child should be evaluated by a physician immediately.

• Severe or increased headache
• Double vision
• Unequal pupils
• Convulsions
• Unusual/increased drowsiness
• Bleeding/clear fluid from the ear/nose
• Projectile or repeated vomiting
• Unusual stiffness in the neck area
• Severe personality changes
• Weakness in either arm(s) or leg(s)
• Numbness in the face/extremities

Second, follow these recommendations:

• Do not let the child perform any strenuous activity or go back to playing in sports.
• Do not use aspirin or ibuprofen for headaches for the first 48 hours. Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) only.
• Encourage your child to rest and eat a light diet.
• Allow them to use ice packs on the head and/or neck to ease pain.
• Let them sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room.

Third, arrange for your child to be evaluated by a medical professional qualified and educated in concussion evaluation and management, such as an athletic trainer or sports medicine physician. Knowledge about concussions is rapidly evolving. The previous severity scales, such as a grade 1 or grade 3 concussion are no longer used. Preventing your child from going to sleep or to wake him or her every hour after a concussion is also an outdated practice. Don’t be afraid to ask the healthcare provider if he or she is aware of the up-to-date concussion protocols.

Concussion Recovery:

Concussion recovery should be a collaborative approach

A concussion can affect school, work, and sports. Along with coaches and teachers, the child’s school nurse, athletic trainer, employer, and other school administrators, such as a guidance counselor, should be aware of the child’s injury and their roles in helping the child recover. Varying or mixed messages from any of these parties may cause the child unnecessary distress and confusion, so clear communication among the group is vital.

Why is mental rest important to recovery?

A concussion affects how the brain works, so resting the brain as much as possible is necessary for recovery. In this context, mental activities are defined as those in which the brain must work hard to process information. This includes critical thinking and problem solving activities such as schoolwork, homework, and technology use.

What can I do to help my child achieve mental rest?

Consider restricting or limiting the following activities as they can increase brain function, worsen symptoms & delay healing:

• Computer work/Internet use
• Video games
• Television
• Text messaging/cell phone use
• Bright lights, such as strobe lights at school dances
• Listening to loud music or music through headphones
• Loud noises
• Parties, concerts, pep rallies, etc.
• Driving
• Work

How do I know when my child is using his or her brain too much?

Continued activity when symptoms are moderate to severe can prevent the brain from healing. Therefore, the key to concussion recovery is to reduce mental activities until symptoms improve and then gradually begin increasing the length and difficulty of those activities as symptoms allow.

On days where the symptoms are severe (which often occur in the first few days after injury), it may be better to suspend any scheduled mental activities (i.e. school, work, homework, etc.) and have the child rest at home.

As symptoms improve, the child may begin to gradually resume simple school-related mental activities. As difficulty is increased, continue monitoring symptoms. Ask, “Do you have any symptoms? Are your symptoms getting worse since you started this activity?” If the child states symptoms are worsening, have him or her stop what they are doing and rest. If the symptoms resolve with rest in a short period of time (20 minutes or less), the child may be allowed
to resume the mental activity. If symptoms remain elevated, the child should discontinue the activity and rest and
re-attempt when symptoms have improved (such as the next day).

Note that there may be good days when symptoms are very mild and bad days when symptoms may be a little worse. This is a normal part of recovery. Sometimes there is a fine line between how much mental activity is okay and how much is too much. The key is to try to figure out where that line is to minimize symptoms as much as possible.

How is school affected by a concussion?

Schoolwork demands focus, memory, and concentration – all brain processes that are affected by a concussion. Academic accommodations, ranging from medically necessary absences to tutoring or extra time for test taking, may be necessary in some cases to decrease symptoms and begin the healing process.

Notify your child’s teachers that he or she has sustained a concussion and provide them with any written recommendations you were given during your visit to your healthcare professional. Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine has a document specifically for teachers, called An Educator’s Guide to Concussions in the Classroom which highlights academic accommodations for students healing from concussion.

Why is physical rest important to recovery?

In the context of concussions, physical activity is any situation in which a child has an elevated heart rate. Such activities include, but are not limited to, sports, gym class, weight lifting, and active play. Due to the risk of Second Impact Syndrome and other complications, a child who has been diagnosed with a concussion should not return to any physical activity and/or athletics until cleared by a healthcare provider experienced in concussion evaluation and management. Physical rest is essential to keep the child safe and to enable the brain to heal.

When can a child who has sustained a concussion safely go back to participating in gym class and/or sports?

A child who has sustained a concussion should not return to physical activity until cleared by an appropriate healthcare provider. The child should be completely symptom free and participating in school fully. Once cleared, the child should participate in a gradual progression back to activity. Ideally, a certified athletic trainer should supervise the child during this timeframe. This gradual progression is critical because a return of any signs or symptoms of concussion during mild physical activity signals that the brain has not healed and the child is not ready to return to activity.

Graduated Return to Sport (RTS) Strategy

There are a few things you can do to decrease your child’s chances of getting a concussion.

• Ensure your child’s equipment fits properly and is checked and maintained regularly.
• Encourage your child to follow the rules of your sport and practice good sportsmanship.
• Encourage your child to listen to your coaches and practice good technique.

If recognized and treated properly, most children will recover fully from a single concussion. However, children who sustain multiple concussions during an early sports career tend to take longer to recover after each concussion and are more likely to experience prolonged post-concussion symptoms or cognitive impairment. Therefore, make sure your child is getting the best care and management possible for his or her concussion.

How can I share this resource with others?

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine provides an in-service on this topic free of charge. The length of the presentation and content can be tailored to fit the specific needs of the group. Please call (614) 355-6000 for more information.

What if I want to learn more?

We provide further educational resources, presentations, and print materials on concussion management and other sports-related injuries and fitness well-being. Visit www.NationwideChildrens.org/Sports-Medicine or call (614) 355-6000.

The concussion clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital utilizes the expertise of Pediatric Sports Medicine specialists and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialists, along with neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, neuropsychologists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers to best manage pediatric concussions.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine also offers baseline neurocognitive (concussion) testing to evaluate a healthy athlete’s decision making ability, reaction time, attention and memory.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides informational materials about concussions for athletes, parents, coaches, and teachers, including a free Heads Up! tool kit. Visit CDC.gov.

© Copyrighted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  All rights reserved.  Any use or reproduction of these materials without the express written consent of Nationwide Children’s Hospital is prohibited.

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Neurology | What to Expect After a Concussion

A concussion may be caused by a blow, bump or jolt to the head, or by any fall or hit that jars the brain. This invisible injury disrupts the way the brain works by decreasing mental stamina, as the brain must work longer and harder even to complete simple tasks. Concussions may involve loss of consciousness, but in the majority of concussions, loss of consciousness does not occur. 

It is important to know the signs and symptoms of a concussion.

Concussion danger signs

In rare cases, a dangerous blood clot may form on the brain in a person with a concussion and crowd the brain against the skull. A patient should be seen in an emergency department right away if symptoms worsen and / or if the patient has: one pupil larger than the other, worsening headaches, seizures, neck pain, unusual behavior change, increased drowsiness, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, problems recognizing people or places, increased confusion, weakness or numbness in arms or legs, or if the patient can’t be awakened or is less responsive than usual.

Concussion recovery and treatment

Approximately 80 percent of concussions resolve over seven to 14 days, with an average of 10 days. People with concussions should never return to sports or other physical activity sooner than one week from sustaining the injury.

A concussed patient’s recovery has two and sometimes three phases depending on the severity of the concussion:

Acute phase is the initial period after sustaining a concussion in which the patient is still experiencing symptoms. This phase can last a week or more. During the acute phase, the concussed brain requires mental and physical rest to recover from the injury. Absence from school or half-day attendance may be recommended because academic work demands focus, memory, and concentration – all brain processes that are affected by a concussion. Decreasing the amount of activity in the brain through absence from school and schoolwork (and therefore achieving mental rest) will help decrease symptoms and begin the healing process.

People who have had a concussion should avoid texting, computer use, video games, television, driving, loud music and music through headphones because all of these activities make the brain work harder to process information and can exacerbate symptoms and slow the recovery process.

Additionally, people with concussions may not participate in any physical activity until cleared by a health care provider, including gym class, weightlifting and sports activities due to the risk of second impact syndrome. This potentially life-threatening event may result from a second, often minor, blow to the head suffered before recovery from the initial injury has occurred. Ultimately, the key to a speedy recovery is both physical and mental rest.

The patient may take pain medicine as prescribed, and use an icepack on the head and neck for comfort. They may also sleep or rest.

Recovery phase occurs once the patient feels physical improvement, such as headaches subsiding, and postconcussion neurocognitive test scores have improved. During this phase, the patient can gradually return to academic and athletic activity as directed by a health care provider. However, academic accommodations may be required during the recovery phase because the concussion may still affect thinking, attention, focus, memory, learning speed and mental processing.

Chronic phase occurs in some cases when the patient may experience more long-lasting (chronic) problems with cognitive function. This may require consideration of a 504 plan, home schooling or a medical leave of absence.

If unmanaged, these problems have the potential to significantly impact the patient’s life as a whole. Patients who are in the chronic phase of a concussion will be referred to one of our neuro rehab specialists who will treat the chronic symptoms.

No two concussions are exactly the same, so individualized treatment is necessary. Developing brains are highly variable, so the symptoms experienced by one person may be completely different from  another. Some patients will take longer to recover from a concussion for various reasons. Therefore, each concussion is managed on an individual basis.

Remember: Concussion affects people differently. While most people with a concussion recover quickly and fully, some will have symptoms that last for days or even weeks. A more serious concussion can last for months or longer. Do not compare your concussion symptoms and recovery to that of someone else or even to any previous concussions you may have sustained.

Concussion recovery: Timeline and 7 tips

People fully recover from concussion within 1 month in most cases. Some factors can help recovery, including getting plenty of rest and eating a healthful, high protein diet.

A concussion can occur due to certain types of traumatic brain injuries. Head trauma can damage the brain due to direct force or when the brain rapidly shifts or turns. Causes include falls, blows, or shaking.

Though they can sometimes be mild, doctors consider concussions to be traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and people should always take them seriously.

Concussions are not rare and have several risk factors, including among people who play sports. While symptoms may linger for a few weeks, most people usually make a full or almost full recovery.

Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that TBIs accounted for 2.87 million emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in 2014.

This article looks at the timeline and stages of concussion recovery and offers tips to help speed up the recovery process.

Share on PinterestWhile a person is recovering from concussion, they may experience headaches.

After a concussion, the majority of people recover from the initial symptoms within 2 weeks to 1 month.

Longer term effects are unusual, though an estimated 20% of people will experience persistent symptoms of post-concussion syndrome, where their symptoms last for more than 6 weeks.

The symptoms and the amount of time it takes for them to go away may differ between people and between concussions. Each concussion is different, even for the same person, and the path to concussion recovery will vary for every individual.

Common symptoms of concussion include:

• nausea
• headaches
• problems with vision and balance
• fatigue
• difficulty thinking and concentrating
• mood changes
• changes in sleeping habits
• increased sensitivity to sound and light

Not all concussion symptoms will be noticeable right after the injury, with some not appearing until days or weeks later.

Right after a concussion, in what doctors call the acute phase, experts recommend 24–72 hours of rest. During this time, individuals need to cut back on all their activities, from work and school to sports and housework.

People should not take any medication without a doctor’s advice. In addition, someone who has suffered a head injury should not be left alone for the first 48 hours.

After this acute phase, people can begin to start returning to their normal lives. However, they need to do so slowly and gradually to make sure they do not overstress or reinjure themselves.

People should check with their doctor to see when they can:

• go back to work
• drive a car
• make important decisions
• travel in an airplane
• resume athletic activities
• drink alcohol

Concussion recovery can be more complicated for athletes. Some doctors may recommend as little as 7–10 days of healing before returning to play, although research from 2018 found that full recovery from concussion averaged 29.4 days.

If someone does not seem to be recovering fully from a concussion after several weeks, they should see a doctor again to check for post-concussion syndrome.

One of the critical factors affecting concussion recovery is the severity of the original injury. In general, the more severe the injury, the longer it takes to recover.

Rest is essential for anyone recovering from a concussion, no matter how young or how strong they are.

Trying to do too much too soon can interfere with healing, and returning to vigorous exercise too soon increases the danger of a repeat brain injury, with potentially much more severe health consequences.

Eating a healthful diet can promote concussion recovery. The Headway Foundation, a nonprofit organization promoting safer sports, recommends the following foods:

• protein to support healthy brain function
• fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin E to support the nervous system
• fish, nuts, and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids to promote brain healing

Some factors interfere with concussion recovery. These include:

• a history of concussions
• preexisting neurological problems
• age, as it takes older adults longer to recover in general

The following are seven tips for concussion recovery:

• The most important thing is to take the injury seriously and see a doctor for a thorough evaluation.
• The next vital step is to get plenty of rest. It is essential to have a good night’s sleep each night and take breaks throughout the day, particularly when doing tasks that may tax the body and the brain.
• A healthful diet is more important than ever during concussion recovery. The body and especially the brain need nutrients to recover from the injury. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to keep the body hydrated and to avoid alcohol.
• Taking time off from sports is essential for effective concussion recovery. It can be harmful to place too much strain on the body, and it is dangerous to run the risk of reinjury, especially when you are not functioning at your best.
• Sometimes, people with concussions can suffer from nausea. Products made from ginger, such as ginger chews and ginger ale, can help settle the stomach, although they do not help in healing a concussion. Read about remedies for nausea here.
• After a concussion, it is helpful to reduce significantly the amount of time spent in front of a screen, whether it is a computer, smartphone, or television. The flickering of these devices can cause eyestrain and headaches,
• Patience is essential during the healing process. Keep in mind that, over a short time, most people can expect to make a complete recovery.

People sometimes describe concussions as mild brain injuries, but they must treat them seriously and take steps to help their recovery. It is important to seek medical care and follow a doctor’s instructions.

Most people with concussions will experience a complete recovery, but the length of time it takes the body and mind to heal can vary. In most cases, someone will recover within a month. In rare cases, recovery can take longer than 6 weeks, which is known as post-concussion syndrome.

During the process of concussion recovery, people can begin to return to their regular activities. However, they should do so slowly and cautiously, especially when it comes to sports.

90,000 Concussion: treatment in Naberezhnye Chelny

Among traumatic brain injuries, concussion is considered to be the most minor injury. As a rule, the pathological condition occurs as a result of trauma. Functional impairment of neural connections causes a disorder of brain activity. The diagnosis of “concussion” with adequate treatment is reversible. Neglect of therapeutic measures entails the development of severe consequences, including long-term ones.

Symptoms of concussion

Immediately after the injury, the patient experiences an impairment of consciousness. The severity of this period can range from stupor to brief loss of consciousness. A slight concussion of the brain is manifested by stupor – stunning. The victim freezes due to inhibition of the transmission of neural impulses. The person feels confused, the muscles of the whole body are tense. With a complete loss of consciousness, the patient does not respond to external stimuli. The unconscious state lasts from several seconds to several minutes.

Further neurological symptoms of concussion appear:

• a persistent feeling of nausea appears;
• vomiting – may be single or repeated after a while;
• dizziness, which intensifies when the patient’s position changes;
• headache – pressing, bursting or pulsating in the area of ​​injury or over the entire surface of the head;

90,011 noise, ringing in the ears;

• Sensation of heat, increased sweating of feet and palms.

Depending on which part of the brain is damaged, partial retrograde amnesia develops. The patient has no recollection of what happened before or immediately after the injury.

When examining a patient, visual signs of concussion are determined:

• the skin of the face, visible areas of the body turns pale and reddens alternately – this is due to dystonia of the blood vessels;
• passing asymmetry of the nasolabial folds, lowering of the corners of the mouth;
• involuntary eye movement;
• unsteadiness of gait.

Over the next few days, increased sensitivity to light and loud sounds remains. The person is having trouble sleeping. There are signs of depression, increased anxiety.

A concussion in a child usually does not lead to loss of consciousness. This is due to the peculiarities of the structure and functioning of the central nervous system. However, the clinical picture is growing very quickly. Concussion symptoms in a child are intense:

• severe headache in the area of ​​damage spreads throughout the head;
• breathing and heart rate increase significantly;
• the child’s face turns red;
• the feeling of nausea appears immediately, vomiting – within the first hour after the impact.

The acute post-traumatic period lasts up to 10 days.

Concussion in infants is manifested by symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury. Toddler vomits during or immediately after feeding. The child’s excitability increases, the sleep and wakefulness regime is disturbed, crying appears when the position of the head changes.

First aid for concussion

Correct first aid for traumatic brain injury helps to stop unpleasant symptoms, prevent the development of complications, shorten the period of treatment and recovery.

Basic rules for providing first aid for concussion:

• The victim must not be lifted if he has fallen. If the injury has occurred and the patient is conscious, he is placed on a horizontal surface.
• The head is turned to the side so that vomit does not enter the respiratory tract.
• Loosen the tie, unbutton the collar buttons.
• Observe breathing, pulse.
• Cold is applied to the impact site, which promotes vasoconstriction, prevents the development of cerebral edema.
• If there is wound damage, it is cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, covered with an aseptic bandage.
• Call an ambulance to transport the patient to the hospital. If the victim is conscious, you can take him to the hospital by taxi.

How to check if there is a concussion

A qualified neurologist should be consulted to confirm a concussion. Only a professional examination, the appointment of hardware diagnostics will make it possible to establish the correct diagnosis.To establish the severity of brain damage, the patient is prescribed:

• radiography;
• neurosonography;
• echoencephalography;
• Doppler scan of the vessels of the head;
• CT, MRI.

Diagnostic results establish the fact of concussion, the presence of fractures of the bones of the skull, intracerebral hematomas.

Treatment of concussion in Naberezhnye Chelny

Concussion is often associated with more severe damage.The main condition for effective therapy is hospitalization in a specialized department. The patient is shown bed rest. In the first 2-3 days, reading, watching TV, working on a computer, listening to audio files through headphones is not recommended.

Prescribed as drug treatment:

• pain relievers for headaches;
• Betaserc, Dramina, Vinpocetine and others – for dizziness;
• sedatives – Afobazol, Novo-passit, sedative tinctures;
• for sleep disorders – Melaxen, Donormil

For symptoms of severe concussion, the following are indicated:

• Anticonvulsants;
• drugs that improve the work of blood vessels;
• antioxidants;
• nootropics.

In the recovery period, a course of multivitamin therapy, the use of magnesium preparations is required.

To improve metabolism in brain tissues, restore normal blood circulation, physiotherapy procedures are recommended:

• laser therapy;
• oxygen baths;
• electrophoresis using drugs;
• UHF therapy.

Do not endanger health after traumatic brain injury, do not take independent action.Professionals of the Center for Restorative Medicine in Naberezhnye Chelny are guaranteed to provide qualified neurological assistance, help eliminate unpleasant symptoms, and avoid serious complications. It is a mistake to believe that concussion treatment and recovery at home will be beneficial. The patient needs professional medical supervision. An experienced doctor examines the anamnesis, prescribes the necessary diagnostic procedures and draws up an individual program of treatment and further rehabilitation.You can get acquainted with the prices for the services of the Center in the price list.

You can make an appointment or clarify all your questions by calling the phone numbers: +7 (8552) 78-09-35, +7 (953) 482-66-62.

90,000 Concussion: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury.

Usually, a concussion is preceded by a head injury as a result of a blow, a bruise, a sudden interruption of the translational movement, such as during a fall on the buttocks.Also, concussion is often caused by injuries that cause the head to turn from side to side. Upon impact, the brain is shaken, which, by inertia, strikes from the inside against the vaults of the cranium. With a concussion, there is often no noticeable structural damage to the brain, but in severe cases, a scan can reveal the consequences of a contusion of the intracerebral substance.

A concussion is signaled by a whole range of symptoms that can occur together or separately.The characteristic signs of a concussion are:

• dizziness and lack of coordination of movement,
• headache,
• short-term impairment of consciousness, which, depending on the severity of the injury and the individual reaction of the body, can last for several seconds or several hours,
• tinnitus,
• drowsiness and general weakness of the body,
• convulsions,
• double vision,
• nausea and vomiting,
• retrograde amnesia (usually the patient is unable to remember events that occurred immediately before or immediately after the concussion),
• confusion,
• unnatural arousal,
• intolerance to loud sounds and bright lighting,
• disorientation in time and space,
• unequal pupil size.

If, after an injury, the patient develops one or more of the above symptoms, an ambulance should be called. You do not need to go to the clinic or hospital yourself, since after a concussion, it is better for the patient to be in the supine position until qualified medical care is provided. Before the arrival of an ambulance, the patient should lie on his side to prevent choking with vomit in case of loss of consciousness. To reduce cerebral edema, ice should be applied to the head.Clothing should be unbuttoned to facilitate breathing. The patient should not be left alone, since psychomotor agitation is possible, which is replaced by loss of consciousness and falling.

A full-fledged examination in case of a concussion, carried out in a hospital, will allow to timely notice and prevent the development of dangerous conditions that may be a consequence of a concussion. As a result of a concussion, focal death of the brain substance, damage to the inner ear, hemorrhage into the organs of vision, blood entering the membrane and substance of the brain, fracture of the bones of the skull, cervical vertebrae and facial bones are possible.

Various diagnostic methods are widely used to detect complications of concussion. The purpose of the appointment of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is to identify cerebral edema, hemorrhages, traumatic changes in the substance of the brain, damage to the bones of the cranial vault and face. X-ray examination of the cervical spine, which is carried out with the head tilted forward and backward, helps to assess the motor function of the vertebrae after injury and timely detect dislocations, subluxations and vertebral fractures.Information about impaired conduction of impulses to various parts of the brain responsible for vision, hearing, touch and motor function can be obtained using the evoked potentials of the brain.

If the examination does not reveal strict indications for hospitalization, then a patient with a concussion is treated on an outpatient basis or at home. The action of the drugs prescribed by the doctor for concussion is aimed at reducing the acute period and preventing complications in the future.With medications, it is possible to bring increased intracranial pressure back to normal, relieve cerebral edema and normalize the flow of nutrients to it. If the course of treatment after a concussion was not completed or the treatment was unqualified, then the consequences of the concussion will not be long in coming. For six months to a year, the patient may face headaches, sleep disturbances, vision and hearing disorders, etc. In this case, an urgent need to consult a neurologist.

Author

traumatologist-orthopedist

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90,000 Concussion: what to do with head injuries | Healthy life | Health

Our expert – neurologist Elena Yurieva .

This injury is considered mild – not a brain injury, after all! Nevertheless, with a concussion, multiple microshibs, numerous minute perivascular edema and hemorrhages occur, the functions of nerve cells in the brain are disrupted, and their nutrition deteriorates. And sometimes all this can turn into near and distant complications: increased intracranial pressure, severe headaches, decreased visual acuity.

What are we complaining about?

The most “typical” symptoms of a concussion are headache, vomiting (single or repeated), dizziness, and a short-term loss of consciousness may also occur.And if nothing of the kind? We were renovating the apartment, overturned the stepladder, hit our head, but it seems that everything worked out. Should I be worried? It is worth it if, after a few hours, you feel weak or lethargic (you should not attribute this to fatigue), sweating appears or you are annoyed by the turned on TV, bright light, you cannot fall asleep. Do not disregard even the smallest “deviations from the norm”. It is better to play it safe a hundred times and see a doctor after an injury than to make a mistake once and then disentangle the consequences for a long time.

Better not to delay

The ideal option after a head injury is to get to the clinic or trauma center and take an X-ray to find out if there is any damage to the bones of the skull. In case of obvious symptoms of a concussion, you must immediately call an ambulance. Before she arrives, you must go to bed. Better – on a low pillow, especially if the victim has been vomiting after the injury.

Apply a cold compress to the area you hit as quickly as possible: use bags of frozen food from the refrigerator wrapped in a thin towel.In no case should you take painkillers or any other drugs before being examined by a doctor: this can “mask” the growing symptoms of deterioration.

To be treated? Necessarily!

After a concussion (even in the mild degree), it is imperative to undergo a course of rehabilitation treatment. It is selected by the doctor specifically depending on the severity of the injury.

Even with mild concussion, bed rest is required for 2-3 days.The best medicine in the early days is sleep. You can take mild sedatives: herbal preparations with valerian, motherwort. In the room, you need to draw the curtains on the windows or lower the blinds, do not turn on the bright light in the evening, but use a night light. For several days, even if you feel quite decent, TV, computer, reading are prohibited.

One of the consequences of such an injury is the occurrence of edema. To prevent them, the doctor may prescribe a mild diuretic with the intake of potassium preparations to prevent its loss by the body with the exiting fluid.In general, you need to try to drink less, strong tea, coffee and other tonic drinks are categorically excluded, the best option is mineral water. A dairy-plant diet is preferred. Bananas, citrus fruits, walnuts are very useful.

Even after a mild concussion, you will have to forget about household chores and any physical activity for at least a couple of weeks, do not rush to get behind the wheel.

If the injury turned out to be moderate or severe and you were admitted to the hospital, the doctor, of course, will give specific recommendations after discharge, but do not forget that during the year you must be registered with a neurologist.

See also:

90,000 Home treatment of concussion

Concussion is the most common injury. Medical reference books interpret it as “reversible dysfunction of the brain due to traumatic injury.” You can get a slight form of concussion just by hitting your head on the corner of the cabinet, for example.

The apparent ease of injury should not be deceiving. A concussion suffered without proper treatment can lead to serious brain diseases in the future.

The risk group for this disease includes athletes, drivers, people of occupations associated with risk, children and the elderly.

Symptoms of a mild concussion may not appear immediately after a shock. But after a while, the injured person may feel light-headedness, headache, nausea. In rare cases, short-term loss of consciousness occurs.

Not always parents can keep track of the child. While playing, the kid may not even pay attention to a frivolous headbutt.

Signs of concussion

1. The head hurts.
2. Strongly squints in bright room light.
3. Is irritated by loud noises.
4. The child is sleepy.
5. Complains of nausea.

The presence of all these signs, an urgent reason to call an ambulance. Before her arrival, it is necessary to put the child to bed and give an acidic drink (cranberry juice, apple juice) to relieve the state of nausea and dizziness.Eliminate any irritants.

In the elderly, even a mild concussion of the brain is complicated by the presence of vascular disease. Only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a specific treatment, after conducting the necessary research. Moderate and severe forms of concussion require immediate medical attention.

Signs of moderate to severe concussion

1. Loss of consciousness for more than 3-5 minutes.
2. Disorientation in space.
3. Open trauma to the skull.

It is undesirable to deliver an injured person to a medical facility on your own. The patient must be laid on a stretcher and taken to the hospital in compliance with all safety rules. Until the ambulance arrives, do not touch the patient and in no case try to put him on his feet. If he is conscious, then gently lay down and calm down, even if it happens on the street.

Home treatment of concussion

Self-medication for any form of concussion is strictly contraindicated .Doctors of different specialties should conduct an examination in the form of radiography, ultrasound and others.

The first appointment is usually performed by a traumatologist. He assesses the severity of the injury and prescribes the necessary examinations. Further treatment after obtaining all the results can be prescribed by a neurologist and a surgeon.

Treatment at home can be continued only with a mild form of concussion, following the procedures prescribed by the doctor.

For proper treatment at home, the patient must be provided with:

1. Bed rest and rest.
2. Lack of irritants. It is undesirable to watch TV and read.
3. Taking medication as prescribed by your doctor.
4. Additional firming and soothing folk remedies.

Medicines prescribed for concussion

The list of medications that a doctor can prescribe can be long and unnecessarily expensive. Some of them can be easily replaced with cheaper counterparts.

Approximate List of Medicines for the Treatment of Concussion:

1. Analgesic for pain relief.It can be “Analgin”, “Pentalgin”, “Spazgan”.
2. Antispasmodic to prevent vasospasm. “No-shpa”, “Drotaverin”.
3. Drugs that reduce the risk of dizziness. Papaverine with Platyphilin, Tanakan.
4. Sedatives. “Carvalol”, “Valocordin”, motherwort and valerian tincture.
5. Sleeping pills. “Phenanzepam”, “Elenium”.
6. Nootropics that accelerate the regeneration of brain cells. Nootropil, Aminolon.
7. Vascular preparations.Cavinton, Stugeron.

Folk remedies for the treatment of concussion

People have received head injuries at all times. And before the advent of affordable medicine, village doctors dealt with them. Their arsenal of remedies has come down to our times.

It is possible to alleviate the patient’s condition with nausea with abundant sour drink . For adults, this can be a pickle pickle. Various sweet and sour fruit drinks and juices for children. A good option for compote is cranberry, lingonberry and dried fruit compote.They contain a whole range of vitamins and minerals that support human immunity.

Tinctures of aralia, arnica and creeping thyme will help to normalize cerebral circulation. Like most folk remedies, they do not have an instant effect. Therefore, it is necessary to take them for a long time, from several weeks to a year, depending on the patient’s condition. These tinctures are sold in pharmacies, but you can also prepare yourself with the necessary herbs on hand. Pour part of the grass with five parts of vodka and insist in a dark place for three weeks.A teaspoon of tincture is diluted in half a glass of water and taken 3 times a day.

Cabbage leaf can be used to relieve headache attacks. A plucked and washed cabbage leaf is applied to the head in the form of a compress and tied with a scarf. Usually the pain goes away within half an hour and the person falls asleep calmly. For the same purposes, a saline compress is also suitable. 1 tablespoon of table salt is diluted in a glass of boiling water, cooled. Make a bandage of such length and width that it covers the forehead, ears and back of the head.The fabric is moistened in a saline solution, squeezed and tied to the patient.

The best non-addictive sedative is a blue tea decoction. The herb and flowers of this plant are brewed with boiling water for 1 tsp. per glass of boiling water, let it brew for 20 minutes and drink a third of the glass 2-3 times a day. Before going to bed, you can drink up to half a glass of broth.

Important: Untreated concussion can manifest itself as serious problems in the future. One of the causes of atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis and some other serious diseases is head trauma in the form of concussion and contusion of the soft tissues of the brain.

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Home treatment for concussion

The first thing to do in case of a concussion at home is to call a doctor or go to a doctor yourself.Because, any blow to the head or even a sharp movement can provoke such a condition, not to mention some serious injuries and blows.

At home, you need to be able to provide first aid and know exactly what needs to be done and what is strictly prohibited while the doctor is on the way. A concussion is damage to this organ caused by a shock. With this impact, the brain comes into contact with the cranial membrane. The concussion can be mild, moderate, or severe.

If the concussion is mild and confirmed by a doctor, then the treatment can be carried out at home.A moderate and severe condition is treated only in a hospital setting. Remember that self-medication is fraught with complications that will cause even greater health difficulties.

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The main signs of concussion:
1. Loss of consciousness, which can be short-term (only 2 minutes), and can last for several hours.
2. A person in consciousness and for no apparent reason feels nausea, vomits.
3.Headache, severe dizziness is felt.
4. Drowsiness appears.
5. Coordination is impaired.
6. You also need to take a closer look at the pupils, with a concussion they are often of different sizes.
7. The appearance of convulsions, moreover, rather strong, is possible.
8. A person cannot adequately respond to loud sounds and bright light.
9. Body temperature during concussion remains normal, but the patient’s consciousness is often confused, he cannot speak normally.

First aid

What to do with a concussion at home for a child or an adult in terms of first aid will be the same.The person needs to be helped to lie down, leaving the head in an elevated position. The patient should not sleep in order to monitor the deterioration of his condition in real time (this should be done for at least an hour).

If a person has lost consciousness, then he is placed on his right side, while the head is thrown back, but the face must be turned to the ground. Bend the left arm and leg at an angle of 90 degrees, which will eliminate fractures. Due to this position of the body, vomit, when they appear, will be able to flow out, the tongue will not sink, and liquid will not penetrate into the respiratory tract.

If there are wounds on the head, they should be treated and bandaged. In no case, before the arrival of the doctor, do not allow the person to take a sitting position, much less stand or walk. If possible, put something cold on your head, it can be ice or any food from the freezer. Transport to the hospital is only carried out on a hard surface. Even if it seems that the concussion is mild, it is imperative to see a doctor!

Mandatory examinations by a traumatologist:
1.X-rays of the neck and skull. They are done to exclude the possibility of fractures or displacement of the vertebrae.
2. Encephalography, which will show that there are no focal lesions of the cerebral vessels.
3. Tomography is prescribed only in severe cases.
4. The fundus of the eye is checked by an ophthalmologist so that there is no hemorrhage.

Important information about which folk remedies help with cough.

What to do with a concussion at home in children and adults

So, a mild form of concussion can be treated at home, but under the supervision of a doctor.As a rule, the traumatologist tells the person in detail how to behave, but it will not be superfluous to repeat all this information.

Daily regimen

During the first three days after the injury, even with mild concussion, it is imperative to observe bed rest. It’s great if you manage to lie down for five days. Provide the patient with a complete state of rest, you can not even read or watch movies, work on a computer, talk for a long time.

Close people should try to protect the patient from all unnecessary information, and especially from worries. If the head hurts badly, then an anesthetic medicine prescribed by a doctor can be taken.Do not turn on the bright light, and do not open the curtains during the day. Observe these rules for 3-5 days and during this time relief should come.

Important! If, a few days after the prescribed bed rest, the condition remains in place or worsens, an urgent need to call a doctor. Especially if there is blood from the nose, ears.

Medicinal herbs for treatment

What to do with a concussion at home, what medications to take, the doctor will tell you, but traditional medicine we recommend individual herbs for a speedy recovery.Best of all, with the described condition, an infusion of motherwort, mistletoe, lemon balm and mint in equal proportions helps.

Bee pollen or propolis can also be used for treatment, which will shorten the period of recovery and rehabilitation. Pollen can be bought in capsule form, propolis is used in equal parts mixed with hawthorn tincture. But alternative treatment for concussion should be carried out only with the consent of the doctor.

Source: http://moy-znahar.ru/436/Domashnee_lechenie_sotryaseniya_mozga/

Home treatment for concussion

An event from a series of unpleasant and unwanted – a concussion, however, in life there are all sorts of injuries, troubles, which you need to be able to cope with.And if, God forbid, a concussion happened to you or your loved ones, you need to understand how it is treated and how, in fact, to build treatment at home. A person will not be in the hospital forever! And at home, in a home environment and with proper care, it is always easier to cure any ailment. By the way, with folk remedies, you can eliminate some of the symptoms of the disease.

Head injuries and their nature

He who has received a concussion in his life once will not confuse him with anything.Trauma usually occurs outside the home, as a result of an accident or a fight. Severe injuries inflicted in the region of the skull lead to the fact that the vessels of the brain and nerve cells are affected. And how to treat such an ailment, whether folk recipes will help, will be clear only after the examination.

MRI and X-ray are the two main procedures that are performed not at home, but in a hospital setting in order to identify the nature of the injury and prescribe treatment.

Usually, even doctors themselves declare that a patient with an injury of this nature has nothing to do in the hospital for a long time.Moreover, if the concussion of the brain is insignificant, and folk remedies can be connected instead of potent drugs. Of course, in an unstable condition, the patient will be kept under the supervision of specialists, but, as a rule, within 2 weeks, the symptoms return to order, and you can be discharged for treatment at home.

During a concussion, not only vegetative symptoms appear – nausea, headache, weakness, etc., but also symptoms of nervous lesions. The most faithful of these is short-term memory loss, followed by dysfunctions of the brain in the area where the concussion occurred.If the disease is cured to the end, these functions are restored.

In general, it is rather difficult to prove the nature of the shaking, you can even imitate it. For example, to incriminate another person with a serious crime.

Thank God, nowadays everything is being treated, and most ailments even at home and using folk remedies.

How long does the concussion last?

In terms of time, the rehabilitation period can take from a month to a year or even several years. It is unequivocally difficult to say how long the treatment takes, because only a part of the brain is injured, and aggravating factors influence the injury itself:

• The affected area is a small bruise with a hematoma, which can be treated with compresses alone.Or the strongest defeat of a whole lobe, in this case, taking pills for headache at home is not limited.
• Presence of cardiovascular or other heart failure, arrhythmias, fibrillation.
• Frequent headaches as a sign of vegetative-vascular dystonia or migraine, vasculitis or neuritis, etc.
• Occurrence of inflammatory processes after concussion. Often, fragments of the skull or cracks in it become the cause of such processes and already require surgical intervention.
• The lifestyle of the patient before he suffered a concussion, etc.

As you can imagine, healthy cells regenerate quickly. If the patient previously drank, smoked, used, etc., there is nothing to say about folk remedies: the treatment will drag on for a long time.

The age at which a person received a concussion determines how long he will have to be treated, whether rehabilitation is possible completely at home.

By the way, as the statistics tell us, about 7 or 8 out of 10 people who were injured were intoxicated. Consequently, the consequences were more disastrous, and rehabilitation and treatment were stretched indefinitely.

How is the disease treated?

Among all drugs, Noopapt-type pills deserve special confidence, which eliminate the consequences, and not just the symptoms of a concussion. At the same time, it is possible to treat at home, the course of admission is about 2 months, after which a noticeable improvement in the patient’s condition is observed.Many lost functions, memory return to it, attention is concentrated.

If the first symptoms, including loss of consciousness, are felt, the person should be immediately hospitalized and examined to confirm the diagnosis of a concussion.

After discharge, you must adhere to the recommendations and dosages prescribed by doctors for treatment. Together with pills, it is recommended to fight the disease with folk remedies. Here are just the most popular recipes for treating a concussion:

1. As the practice of taking them in treatment shows, thyme-based remedies are good – an infusion of this herb in a strained form is given to the patient before meals, half a glass at a time.Only with long-term use (from 6 months) will a positive effect be noticeable.
2. You can try to treat the effects of concussion with tincture of aralia. For 1 tbsp. herbs account for 100 ml of pharmacy alcohol. You need to insist in a dark and dry place for at least 21 days, then the patient is prescribed 30k. In the morning and at lunchtime.
3. Products based on arnica pharmacy have proven themselves well. This herb, combined with brewed myrtle leaves, helps restore memory and has sedative properties.

Of course, you won’t be full with folk remedies alone, as doctors would say. Proper nutrition and care, exercise therapy and developmental exercises, perhaps classes with a psychologist and speech therapist will help rehabilitate after a concussion. In addition, they purchase medical devices for monitoring the patient’s condition, exercise equipment. And constant communication is important: this should become the dominant dogma. The patient will recover only when he wants to – and this requires the support of loved ones and motivation to recover.

Source: http://medinsult.ru/sotryasenie-mozga/kak-lechit-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html

Medicines for concussion

A concussion of the brain requires an immediate visit to the clinic. If the victim is not conscious, he must be allowed to smell the ammonia and call an ambulance. Self-treatment and taking painkillers is categorically unacceptable, since by the arrival of doctors, the symptoms may change under the influence of medications, and the picture will not correspond to reality.First aid for a patient with a concussion is provided in the neurosurgical department in order to constantly monitor the dynamics and, if necessary, be ready for surgery. If the indicators improve, treatment continues at home.

1. Restore microcirculation of blood in the vessels of the brain;
2. Provide adequate nutrition for brain tissue;
3. Establish oxygen delivery to the brain tissues;
4. Eliminate possible negative consequences (epilepsy, increased intracranial pressure).

Nootropics

Treatment of concussion is primarily medication. If those around you do not know what to do in case of a concussion and how first aid should be provided, then the victim must immediately call an ambulance. When a patient enters a medical institution, he will undergo all the necessary diagnostic procedures (first CT, MRI, after which the studies will be carried out several more times) and determine the degree of damage to the medulla, if any.In case of mild concussion, the patient may be released home under observation and continued monitoring at home.

Head injuries are treated with neuroprotective agents . This is the first and main group of medicines. The main task of neuroprotectors is the normalization of metabolism in the tissues of the brain, which helps to improve the nutrition of its cells. Also, neuroprotective agents eliminate pathological changes in neurons and protect them from insufficient cerebral blood supply (for example, when a hematoma occurs in a certain part of the head after a concussion).The group of neuroprotectors includes nootropic drugs such as Semax, Cerakson, Piracetam, Cerebrolysin, Picamilon, Nootropil, Encephabol, Glycine, Lucetam, Alvezin, Methionine.

Dehydrating agents

The next group of drugs for concussion is dehydrating agents. These drugs help to remove excess water, after which the swelling of the brain with a concussion will subside. Along with this group, diuretics are widely used, which also remove fluid from the victim’s body.The most popular dehydrator is Diacarb, and diuretics are represented by drugs such as Arifon, Aldactone, Lasix, Veroshpiron, Furosemide in tablet form, but you can also give injections, Hypothiazide, Indap, Indapamide.

Vasotropic drugs

Vasotropic drugs play an important role in the treatment of concussion. Their first aid consists in direct action on the vessel wall, making it more elastic and resistant to pressure from a possible hematoma. Under the action of drugs of this group, vascular spasms are eliminated, blood viscosity returns to normal, the function of erythrocytes to transport oxygen improves, metabolism in the walls of blood vessels is activated.With such a broad positive characteristic of vasotropic drugs, doctors, depending on the specific case of concussion, determine the ratio of vasotropic and nootropic drugs to the patient.

The popular drug Oxybral has a vasotropic effect. It improves the respiratory function of mitochondria and increases the resistance of nerve cells to a lack of oxygen. In case of cerebral insufficiency formed after a concussion, Oxybral restores damaged circuits and prevents degenerative changes in neurons.Under the influence of this drug, the level of blood circulation in the brain is activated, spasm of vascular smooth muscles is eliminated. Vasotropin, Instenon, Theonikol and others provide good assistance in treatment.

In order to increase metabolism and restore normal intracranial pressure, Actovegin, Pentoxifylline, Dexamethasone, Mexidol and Mildronate are used. The drugs are in tablet form, but injections can also be done.

Cerebrolysin and a similar drug Somazin are administered to victims of concussion as a saline solution.

Vitamins and minerals

In the course of rehabilitation therapy, the body needs vitamins and minerals. In this case, it is recommended to give folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B to victims of concussion. This should be done strictly according to the schedule prescribed by the doctor. Pyridoxine, or in another way vitamin B, is actively involved in the exchange of amino acids, enzymes, and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. In the presence of vitamin B, magnesium is better absorbed in the intestine, its transfer to cells is activated, and the accumulation of this substance in cell depots is improved.Magnesium, in turn, promotes the activation of pyridoxine in the liver. The combination of these components has a positive effect on brain cells, protecting them from destruction. Vitamin B can be used both in combination with other vitamins and as part of the Magvit B6 preparation. Usually, drugs are prescribed for a long time, including for home treatment.

Elimination of insomnia and dizziness

For insomnia, the victim is prescribed Phenobarbital, Elenium, Nosepam, Dormiplant and Adaptol, which perfectly eliminate not only insomnia, but also help with dizziness.

If, after a concussion, the victim suffers from a headache, he is prescribed strong painkillers – Pentalgin, Maksigan, Baralgin, Sedalgin, Analgin. With dizziness, patients will be helped by Tanakan, Papaverin, Belloid, Microzer,

If soft tissue injuries are observed with a head injury, then stitches are applied to them and pain relievers from the above list are prescribed.

Concussion medication is the gold standard in the treatment of such trauma.Doctors always try to help the patient without surgical methods, but in some cases, such an intervention has to be done. Rehabilitation of patients after surgery at home also involves the use of medications from the above list.

Source: http://headsovet.ru/sotryasenie-mozga/medikamentyi.html

Tablets for concussion

From hitting the head on a solid object or sharp jerks of the body, the brain, washed by the liquid, in a matter of seconds shifts to the side and returns back.If the blow is strong, then the medulla hits the bone of the skull. At this moment, there is a stretching or rupture of nerve fibers, vessels in the brain structures and the victim has a number of neurological symptoms indicating a concussion. After such an injury, a person needs complete rest and medical treatment under the supervision of a specialist. He is prescribed drugs, pills for concussion with an action aimed at relieving pathological symptoms.

How to identify concussion, symptoms and signs

Concussion is characterized by acute symptoms that appear immediately after the impact, and delayed, which begin to bother 2-3 hours after the injury. In the first minutes of the concussion, depending on the severity of the injury, the victim may develop the following symptoms:

confusion lasting several minutes; loss of memory in part of the events preceding the injury; headache of an overflowing nature; dizziness; an attack of single vomiting and excruciating nausea; the appearance of flash or flickering spots in the eyes; noise in ears; arrhythmia; loss of balance; loss of consciousness from several minutes to 5-6 hours, depending on the degree of shock.

After an hour, the intensity of the described symptoms in most cases decreases, and the victim experiences some relief. During this period, it is important to recognize a concussion and begin treatment in order to prevent the development of delayed signs, manifested in the form of psychoemotional excitability, sleep disturbance and weakness.

Methods of diagnosis and treatment

Before starting the treatment of concussion with pills, it is necessary to diagnose the degree of its severity.For this, a neurologist conducts a survey of the victim or his relatives, while clarifying the details of the injury and the symptoms that manifested themselves immediately after it.

People who are next to the victim at the time of the injury should remember all the symptoms that bothered him during the first 15 minutes, since at the time of his delivery to the hospital, pathological signs usually change their character. If the injured person immediately lost consciousness after the impact, then it is necessary to indicate the time of his stay in this state, in order to inform the doctor later.

In the absence of bone and intracerebral injuries, concussion is diagnosed by visual signs, tactile tests and the results of the following instrumental studies:

ultrasound dopplerography; electroencephalography; ophthalmography.

If the nature of the injury and symptoms indicate a violation of the integrity of the cranium or the formation of intracranial tumors and hematomas, then the victim will need additional examination on a computer or magnetic resonance imaging machine.

Depending on the results of the examination and the diagnosed degree of concussion, the patient is prescribed treatment, which may include the following methods:

drug therapy in the form of intravenous drips, injections and tablets for concussion; physiotherapy procedures – prescribed after the removal of acute symptoms of concussion; surgical intervention – if during the trauma there were serious brain disorders or a stroke provoked the formation of volumetric hematomas.

In the course of treatment, the victim should be in complete rest and remain in bed. This will shorten the hospital stay, recover faster and reduce the likelihood of unpleasant consequences.

Concussion tablets

In the treatment of mild and moderate forms of concussion, injectable drugs are replaced by concussion tablets with a lower concentration of active ingredients in the composition. So, the patient, depending on the nature and intensity of the symptoms manifested, can be prescribed:

1. Analgesics (Aspirin, Baralgin, Pentalgin).Pure analgesics are indicated for relieving headaches of various kinds caused by concussion of the brain structures. Combined drugs, depending on the action of excipients, not only eliminate pain, but also have an antispasmodic or sedative effect.
2. Nootropic substances (Piracetam, Nootropil, Glycine). Tablet preparations are prescribed to restore impaired cerebral functions. Their reception helps to improve mental activity, memory, speech and perception.
3. Antiemetic tablets (Metoclopramide, Cerucal). The drugs are designed to relieve persistent attacks of nausea and vomiting caused by a violation of the vestibular centers. The tablets are prescribed symptomatically as discomfort arises.
4. Diuretics (Diacarb, Furosemide). The need to take drugs arises in cases when a victim with a diagnosed concussion has arterial hypertension or there is a risk of edema of cerebral structures.
5. Tablets for dizziness (Betaserk, Tanakan). Should be taken in case of persistent vertigo syndrome until the intensity of symptoms decreases.
6. Sedatives with sedative effect (Sedalgin, Valerian, Valokordin). Prescribed with obvious signs of psychoemotional excitability to ensure peace and proper sleep.
7. Tranquilizers (Phenazepam, Sibazon). They are used under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital if the drugs of the previous group do not bring relief.Tranquilizers are addictive, so their treatment is carried out in a short time period until the moment the stress and depressive mood disappears.
8. Vitamin complexes . Vitamin B, E, A, and folic acid are prescribed as adjuvant therapy to provide nutrition to the brain and repair damaged nerve fibers.

Describe your problem to us, or share your life experience in treating a disease, or ask for advice! Tell us about yourself right here on the site.Your problem will not go unnoticed, and your experience will help someone! Write >>

The combination of the described groups of drugs and their optimal dosage should be determined by the attending neurologist, regardless of where the treatment is taking place: in a hospital or at home.

Information on the site is created for those who need a qualified specialist, without breaking the usual rhythm of their own life.

Source: http://progolovy.ru/golovnoj-mozg/tabletki-pri-sotryasenii-golovnogo-mozga

What to do in case of a concussion

Head injuries are fraught with serious consequences if first aid is not provided in a timely manner.

One of the possible complications may be a concussion. Therefore, in this situation, the questions of what to do in case of a concussion and how to quickly help the victim are relevant. There is a list of effective measures that can prevent the negative consequences of a concussion that everyone needs to know. After all, no one is immune from such a misfortune.

Concussion is a life-threatening injury characterized by brain damage. Damage occurs as a result of an external impact of the brain tissue against the inner walls of the cranium.In this case, many dangerous processes occur, including edema, impaired blood supply.

Concussion, the symptoms and treatment of which are individual in nature, makes itself felt after many years, since it does not pass without a trace. A concussion is a very dangerous injury, so the best option would be to go to an ambulance or an emergency room.

Symptoms of trauma

Concussion is characterized by several characteristic and pronounced symptoms, including:

• severe loss of consciousness;
• headaches;
• split eyes;
• violation of coordination, movements;
• dizziness;
• general weakness;
• drowsiness.

A concussion is not necessarily accompanied by a sudden loss of consciousness. Especially if it is a mild form. In addition, a person who has received a blow to the head may experience a gag reflex, malaise, which manifests itself in the inability to focus his gaze at one point, so he sees blurry, and in the eyes everything doubles.

A mild concussion, which also needs treatment, may go away without overt symptoms, but the person will feel lethargic and sleepy.It is not recommended to let a person who has a concussion go to bed. It is necessary to observe its general condition.

Concussion: home treatment

If your loved one received a severe blow to the face or head, then it is in your power to provide him with first aid, which can save his life before the arrival of doctors. First aid for concussion consists of important and urgent manipulations:

• providing complete rest;
• food intake exclusion;
• application of a cold compress to the head;
• Constant monitoring of the victim’s well-being.

A concussion, which must be treated in a medical facility, is a very dangerous injury. Therefore, first aid should be provided as quickly as possible. First, it must be laid on a horizontal surface to avoid falling. In this case, the head should be located slightly higher in relation to the body. And you should also provide the victim with fresh air. The victim is allowed to drink half a glass of still water.

Second, a cold compress should be applied to the impact site.If there is no special cooling bandage at hand, then a bandage or gauze will do, which periodically needs to be cooled in cold water. If you have ice or frozen foods, you can use them as well. To do this, wrap a cold object with a soft cloth.

Third, it is not recommended to eat after an injury. It is advisable to wait 2-3 hours. You should not drink alcohol, as it can aggravate the situation.

If the symptoms of the disease are not observed, then the person can eat in a few hours.But you still need to go to the emergency room to diagnose the condition. After all, situations are not uncommon when a concussion manifested itself the next day or was asymptomatic. Also, the consequences and symptoms of injury may appear after a month. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the well-being of a person every day.

In addition, it is not recommended to drink any medications, including pain relievers. It is imperative to wait for an ambulance. Self-medication will only do harm.A concussion, symptoms that can be treated at home only after consulting a doctor, does not go away without consequences, so it is better to visit a doctor and exclude their adverse effects.

The consequences of head trauma can be vegetative-vascular disorders, neuroses, psychoemotional instability, sleep disturbances, prolonged depression, increased sensitivity to alcoholic beverages. Therefore, in order not to wait for the development of these unpleasant and very dangerous complications, you should immediately contact a specialist or call emergency help.

Treatment in a hospital

Treatment of trauma should be carried out in a hospital, especially if the victim is moderate or severe. In the traumatology department, doctors will provide the necessary assistance. The course of treatment for an injury is at least 10 days, but the rehabilitation period depends on the severity of the injury, its symptoms and consequences.

Many people have questions about how to behave in case of a concussion, what medications can be taken. It is undesirable to take medications, but if it is extremely necessary, then you can drink one or two tablets of analgin or a drug based on it.Upon arrival of the ambulance, it is necessary to warn the doctors about taking medications.

Improvement occurs on days 2-3, and full recovery can vary from one to two weeks. It depends on the individual characteristics of the victim. If after 2 weeks there is no improvement in the condition, then this is a reason to immediately consult a doctor. After a head injury, it is necessary to exclude any physical activity, including long walks, sports. Complete rest should be ensured for a month.

Before starting the rehabilitation course, the doctor must diagnose the current condition of the victim. Therefore, the following patient examinations are carried out:

• craniography, which allows to eliminate fractures of the bones of the skull;
• examination of the fundus;
• computed tomography or MRI;
• ultrasound examination.

The method of examination is determined by the doctor, but they all allow a reliable diagnosis and effective treatment to be prescribed.Electroencephalography, vascular Doppler ultrasonography can also be performed. Diagnostics allows you to establish an accurate diagnosis and exclude the presence of more dangerous consequences of an impact.

If the patient requires constant observation, then he is admitted to the hospital. The hospital provides symptomatic and preventive treatment. Drugs that can improve the condition of the victim include:

• preparations based on analgin;
• anti-anxiety medicines;
• vascular preparations;
• diuretics.

If you want to know how to treat mild concussion at home, your doctor will give you the most complete recommendations. Even in the absence of any signs of illness. You definitely need to visit a traumatologist or therapist. It is strictly forbidden to eliminate the symptoms of concussion in moderate and severe forms on your own, especially to take any medications.

Source: http://antirodinka.ru/chto-delat-pri-sotryasenii-mozga

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90,000 Concussion: Home Treatment

Concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury in which the brain collides with the walls of the skull as a result of a head impact.

ContentsCollapse

Depending on the severity of the impact, the concussion can be either mild or severe, requiring long-term observation of the patient in the hospital. Mild forms can be treated at home, following simple guidelines.

Concussion can be of different severity, the lungs can be treated at home

General information

The brain does not fit tightly to the bones of the skull – there is a special fluid around it that absorbs small shocks.For a visual representation of what happens at the moment of impact, you can place a tennis ball in a glass of water and shake it sharply. The same thing happens with the brain: at the moment of impact, it strikes sharply against the bones of the skull – first on one side, and then by inertia on the other.

After a stroke, normal blood circulation is disrupted, neural connections are damaged, and cerebral edema develops.

You can diagnose a concussion on your own at home, identifying some of the main symptoms of pathology:

• Visual impairment.After a traumatic brain injury, a blurred image, double vision of objects in the eyes, “flies” and “veil” before the eyes are often noted.
• Headaches. Painful sensations always accompany brain damage. The pain is usually quite intense, spreading over the entire surface of the head.
• Dizziness. In some cases, due to dizziness, it is difficult for patients to maintain balance.
• General weakness and malaise. General health always suffers after a head injury.
• Nausea. With a concussion, nausea is noted, often reaching vomiting, which does not bring the patient the desired relief.

First aid at home

What to do if there are all signs of injury, and how to help the victim who is at home before the doctors arrive?

The main principle of first aid and home treatment is the application of three main factors – cold, rest and hunger.

It is important to organize at home for the victim suitable conditions for complete rest: he should be laid on a horizontal surface with his head elevated.It is important to ensure the flow of fresh air into the room where the patient is, you can give a sip of water to drink, but not more – in the acute period, it is advisable to limit fluid intake.

It is very important for the patient to stay in bed in case of a concussion

A cold object should be applied to the impact area – at home you can take frozen food from the freezer and wrap it with a clean dry towel (this will help to avoid frostbite), or simply moisten a cloth with cold water, and change the compress as it warms up.In the first hours after the impact, it is undesirable to eat – this will help to avoid vomiting. Even if you intend to treat a concussion at home, you should call an ambulance, since only specialists can adequately assess the nature of the damage, establish the severity of the injury, recommend treatment and, if necessary, hospitalize the patient. Medical care should not be neglected – it is not always at home that a person without special education can adequately assess the extent of the injury. As a rule, in case of a concussion, it is enough to take an X-ray, which is directed by the traumatologist.

Treating a concussion at home

With a mild concussion, it is quite possible to recover at home. More serious injuries should still be treated not at home, but in a hospital setting, as it is safer for the patient and will reduce the number of undesirable consequences.

Treatment of a mild concussion is quite simple and does not require a large number of medications, it is just important to create conditions for the victim at home that are optimal for recovery and follow simple treatment rules.

• Bed rest. In the early days, it is important to strictly adhere to this rule and try to get out of bed as little as possible. The duration of treatment depends on the extent of the damage and the speed of recovery – if you feel well, you can gradually resume daily activity. On average, bed rest lasts about 7 days.
• Rest. The victim should observe complete rest – after a concussion, it is forbidden to while away the time with the help of a TV, computer and reading books.It is important to provide the brain with complete rest, eliminate all irritating factors, it is desirable to sleep a lot. An adult should be at rest for at least 3 days, for children a little longer – about 5-7 days.
• Taking analgesics. In the first days after the injury, the headaches are quite intense, so it is advisable to use pain relievers. In treatment, preference should be given to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – Paracetamol, Nise, Ibuprofen. It is advisable that the drugs are selected by a specialist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the victim’s body.It is undesirable to treat headaches after concussion with narcotic analgesics – they inhibit the work of the brain.

In most cases, after a slight concussion, the patient’s condition improves noticeably 3-4 days after the injury, and in a week he recovers completely. If, after a week of treatment at home, relief does not come, you should seek medical help, since, most likely, an inadequate assessment of the degree of damage was given.

After you feel better, it is advisable to limit physical activity – it is not recommended to go in for sports, walk long distances, run.

How to get rid of the consequences of a concussion on your own?

A concussion is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance. The damage to the brain does not go away without leaving a trace, often after recovery, negative consequences remain. Basically, unpleasant symptoms torment those patients who did not follow the recommendations of specialists and neglected the treatment.

All undesirable consequences can be divided into early and late. Early symptoms occur within 10 days after injury and are associated with swelling of the brain tissue. These include:

• Seizures.
• Inflammatory diseases – meningitis, encephalitis.
• Post-concussion syndrome – a complex of symptoms: headaches, sleep disturbances, distraction, weakness, memory disorders. All these symptoms can go away with treatment at home, if you follow all the recommendations.

Long-term consequences include:

• VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia).
• Decreased emotional background: depressive tendencies, bouts of aggression, irritability appear.
• Decreased intellectual abilities – after a concussion, memory loss, problems with concentration are often noted.
• Attacks of headaches.

After a concussion, health complications may occur, for example, vegetative-vascular dystonia

It is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of unwanted consequences after a concussion at home, without the help of specialists – neglect of medical care can worsen the condition and increase unpleasant symptoms.It is possible to treat the consequences at home, but only after the selection of special medications, taking into account the complaints and the clinical picture.

90,000 signs, home treatment

A concussion is a relatively minor injury, but it can cause a lot of inconvenience to the patient. A person feels nausea, vomiting does not stop by itself, sometimes there is a rise in temperature. Headache, the state of being stunned is also uncomfortable. Therefore, it is necessary to provide first aid and not delay the visit to the doctor.

Symptoms of mild concussion

Falls and blows to the head are undoubtedly harmful, even if they are minor. Signs of a mild concussion in an adult:

1. Dizziness.
2. Darkening in the eyes or sparks, split.
3. Increased sensitivity to sounds, bright light.
4. Sometimes loss of consciousness.
5. Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite.
6. Sweating, paleness or redness of the skin, vegetative manifestations.
7. Possible memory gaps.
8. Violation of cardiac activity.
9. Convulsive syndrome.

These symptoms are caused by post-traumatic edema, minor hemorrhages, therefore, the consequences of a mild concussion should not be underestimated and treatment is necessary.

Notes for parents! Concussion in children: symptoms and causes of injury.

It is useful to learn how to identify a concussion in the early stages on your own.

What to do in case of mild concussion

The patient should be placed on a horizontal surface, protected from sources of bright light and noise. To relieve pain, apply a cold compress to the impact site. If the victim is vomiting, the head is placed on one side to avoid choking with vomit.

Nausea is relieved by Motilium tablets. With vomiting, an injection of Cerucal is necessary, which suppresses the urge to empty the stomach. But this medication is a prescription, so it is best to visit a medical facility, since only a doctor knows how to treat a mild concussion.Recovering from an injury is also possible at home.

Naturally, the patient should be brought to a doctor as soon as possible, who will conduct an examination and tell the victim what to do in case of a slight concussion. The consequences of trauma are better seen on MRI or CT.

Treatment

Treatment for mild concussion is often performed on an outpatient basis. To eliminate post-traumatic edema, which gives the main symptoms, including pain, nausea and vomiting, diuretics are used.They help to reduce the increased intracranial pressure – the culprit of photosensitivity.

Metoclopramide is used to quickly relieve nausea and vomiting. Headaches are eliminated by analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs: Analgin, Tempalgin, Baralgin, Ibuprofen. They also relieve elevated body temperature resulting from a mild concussion.

For complete rehabilitation, bed rest is required for 2 weeks. After an injury, one should give up working at a computer, children – from outdoor games, adults – playing sports, intensive housework.You cannot tilt your head during the recovery period, make sudden movements in order to avoid an increase in symptoms, aggravation of edema. Also, long-term communication can be harmful, as it has an exciting effect on the nervous system.

It is necessary to reduce the illumination of the room, observe silence in the place where the person is after the injury. You can apply a blindfold, earplugs. This will prevent worsening of the condition, as harsh stimuli interfere with recovery and proper sleep. If the patient suffers from insomnia, sedatives and hypnotics are used.

Home treatment of mild concussion is not easy and requires consultation with a trauma doctor. Diuretic drugs (Furosemide) may be prescribed in combination with potassium preparations, which also helps to eliminate edema.

To improve the blood supply to the brain after trauma, medications from the group of antihypoxants are used: Mexidol, Cytoflavin, Cerebrolysin, Cortexin. As organopreparations, drugs accelerate the recovery process from injuries.B vitamins are good for the nervous system.

It is useful to read about the consequences of a concussion and changes in the human body.

All about dietary nutrition for concussion: healthy and unhealthy foods.

It is important to know how recovery from a concussion occurs: medical treatment.

Memory impairment is a separate symptom, in the treatment of which nootropic drugs are used: Nootropil, Piracetam, Glycine.Usually, after a course of treatment, memories are restored.

To relieve irritability, vegetative symptoms, agonists of the inhibitory mediator of the central nervous system GABA are used: Aminalon, Picamilon. With convulsive syndrome, anticonvulsants are used: Carbamazepine, Ethosuximide.

If the patient has arrhythmia, drugs will be required to restore normal heart function: Novocaine, Lidocaine, intravenous glycosides. Potassium supplements are also useful in some cases for the treatment of rhythm disturbances.

Diet for mild concussion

Edema of the brain tissue should be reduced by limiting the amount of salt in the diet – this will help the symptoms go away faster. Liquids should not be overused. Sweet lemon tea relieves nausea and acts as a diuretic. Orthosiphon staminate in filter bags can be brewed instead of tea. It also has a diuretic effect.

After the return of appetite, it is necessary to eat foods rich in potassium to reduce puffiness, as well as eliminate the effects of diuretics, improve heart function.These are dried apricots, prunes, potatoes.

Consequences

After a mild concussion, subject to bed rest and proper treatment, the consequences disappear by themselves. Sometimes, after an injury, a sick person may experience symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia for some time.

Possible fainting, weakness, profuse sweating, impaired cardiac activity, feeling of a lump in the throat. However, after the correct treatment, these manifestations go away and, as a rule, do not return.In case of nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, dizziness, it is better to take the victim to a doctor to rule out more serious disorders.