Signs and Symptoms of Concussion

You have seen that bumper sticker “Sh** Happens”? Well, “Concussions Happen” too. We just don’t always know that the little head injury was that serious.

Concussions can happen to anybody (yes, that means you), especially an athlete or if you are a health and fitness nut Gawd, just the other day I was on my local beach here in Port Townsend lifting driftwood over my head as barbells.

And, yeah, you are right, I dropped it on my head. Luckily, the 15-pound branch did little damage, except to my ego. But the point is you can get a concussion doing almost anything, especially anything that is… stupid.

Even sitting at your desk, right now, you could get a concussion. Imagine if you dropped the last chocolate-covered raisin you are munching on, and it goes under your desk (in my case, that is under my treadmill desk) and when you reach for it, you rise up too quickly, and “pop,” you bang your head on the underside of your desk. Ouch! But at least the 5-second rule for food safety applied to that little morsel. Like I said, “Concussions Happen”.

Concussions are not always obvious, and it can be hard to know whether someone has sustained a concussion. While some people may pass out after sustaining a concussion, most do not.

Approximately 90 percent of diagnosed concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness.

So Just What Are The Symptoms of Concussion?

Now some people think when you bang your header (and not at a rave party) that you only have a concussion if you blackout. Let it be known that you don’t need to lose consciousness to have a concussion.

First and foremost, if you incur, or suspect, a concussion, immediately seek medical care. That means, now, right now, pick up the phone, go see your doctor… now. Got it?

The signs of a concussion do not always immediately present themselves and are not always easily recognized. We all have bumped are the head, or in the case of kids with a possible concussion, an “oooowie,” and the pain of the head bump goes away and we forget about it. (Hmmm, did a concussion make us forget about it?)

Anyways, back to the issue of recognizing a concussion – you can’t always easily identify the symptoms of a concussion. The problem of determining if you have had concussion places many at possible medical risk. If, for example, you were playing sports and had a concussion, but didn’t know it, you could actually cause a more serious concussion if you return to play the sport. Not good.

And, if you even get “dinged” again, but with a softer blow to the head, you can make it even worse. Repeated injury to your brain can lead to swelling, and some even develop long-term disabilities due to multiple concussions. Worst case (obviously), you can die, as a result of an unrecognized, untreated head injury.

Concussion symptoms can range from very mild to severe and can last for days, weeks, or longer. If you or someone you know has received a head impact, it is important to look for signs of a concussion.

Concussions are not always obvious, and it can be hard to know whether someone has sustained a concussion

Immediate symptoms of a concussion may include one, or more of the below:

A temporary loss of consciousness: briefly passing out is never a good sign.
Unconsciousness – this is a much larger head trauma problem. Quit what you are doing, and call 911.
Coma – this typically involves a severe head injury and traumatic shock to the brain.
Slower than normal reflexes – you can toss a pen or keys to someone and see if they can react to catch it.
Pupil response to light – you have seen it on TV, a medical professional shining a light into the eyes of a dazed soul. Why do they do that? They want to determine if the pupils (the black part of your eye) are responding to the light, ie the dilated pupils test. If the pupils don’t respond you probably have a concussion.
Convulsions – if the person with a head injury is convulsing, get immediate medical care.

Of course, there can be delayed concussion symptoms. These include:

Concussion headaches – do you have a headache, for no apparent reason, other than a blow to your head, which rattled your brain.
Dizziness and grogginess – and we are not talking about the Paris Hilton kind. If you stand up and you are unsure of yourself, you may have a concussion.
Mental confusion – of course, we all have everyday confusion. We are talking about confusion beyond the normal state (Where am I? What is the date today? Who are we playing?)
Extreme numbness – sometimes the brain injury concussion is so severe, like a football hit or whiplash from a car accident, that your legs or arms can go numb.
Difficulty with a vision – you can have a problem looking at one item and focusing.

In general, you can categorize the symptoms also into physical, mental, sleep and emotional symptoms.:

Physical symptoms of a concussion include:

Dizziness
Problems with balance
Nausea and/or vomiting
Balance problems
Sensitivity to noise
Sensitivity to light
Blurred vision
Headache
Low energy level
Unequal pupils
Seeing flashing lights

Mental symptoms of a concussion are:

Difficulty remembering
Confusion
Inability to concentrate
Inability to think clearly
Mental fogginess
Inability to remember new information
Trouble paying attention
Loss of focus

While the sleep symptoms of a concussion are:

Sleeping more than usual
Unable to fall asleep
Sleeping less than usual

Finally, concussions also affect your mood. Emotional symptoms of a concussion include:

Easily angered or upset
Feeling nervous or anxious
Feelings of sadness
Crying more than usual
Lack of interest in usual activities
Depression

Next Effects of a Concussion »

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