Concussion: how to recognize what to do and how not to harm

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A concussion is not the worst head injury, but the consequences are nasty: several weeks of nausea, dizziness and irritability. And this is still good, because a more serious problem can be disguised as a concussion.

A concussion is a sudden, short-term dysfunction of the brain. Concussion usually occurs after a headbutt or fall. Sometimes there are no external signs of injury: no bumps, no bruises, no wounds. And there is a concussion.

Concussion symptoms may not appear immediately after injury. A few weeks will pass, and your head will start to hurt, dizziness will appear, and you will not understand why.

Due to trauma, the work of the reticular activating system is disrupted. It is this system that is responsible for consciousness, regulates sleep and awakening, and helps to highlight the necessary information from the general noise.

When the brain temporarily changes its habitual position due to a shock, interference occurs in the electrical activity of the nerve cells that form the reticular activating system. Concussion symptoms appear.

When to Seek Help

After a head injury, a person should be examined by a doctor. Even if there is no visible damage to the skull, the brain could be severely damaged. The doctor must rule out hemorrhage or cerebral edema (these are more complex consequences of trauma).

You cannot diagnose concussion on your own and think that everything will pass.

Concussion symptoms fall into several categories because trauma affects almost the entire body.

Thinking and Memory Concussion Symptoms

1. The person lost consciousness for a few seconds or minutes.
2. Doesn't remember what happened to him and what happened immediately after the injury.
3. Is inhibited, slowly answers questions, does not understand what is being said to him.
4. Can't concentrate.
5. Difficulty reading or writing.
6. Can't remember new information.

Symptoms of a concussion from the general condition of the body

1. Headache.
2. Visual impairment: flies fly before the eyes, the image is double and blurred.
3. Nausea and vomiting.
4. Dizziness.
5. Sensitivity to bright light and noise.
6. Balance problems, wobbly gait.
7. Sleepiness or, conversely, insomnia.

Emotional and Mood Shake Symptoms

1. Unreasonable irritability.
2. Depression.
3. Increased emotionality: a person's mood changes quickly.
4. Fatigue, lack of energy.

You can notice the trauma in a child if his behavior has changed: the baby does not respond to external stimuli, cannot concentrate, is capricious, cries, refuses water and food.

If a person is sick, he cannot stay awake, falls asleep, does not answer questions, do not try to take him to the hospital on your own, call an ambulance.

If a drunk person or taking tranquilizers is injured, he must be taken to the emergency room, because the symptoms of a concussion in such a situation are easy to miss.

What to do while you are waiting for doctors

1. Apply a cold compress to the impact site for 20 minutes to reduce swelling. Wrapping a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel is the quickest way to make an ice pack.
2. Lay the person on their side, bend their legs, place one palm under the head, and bend the other arm at the elbow. The position must be stable so that the person does not accidentally roll over onto his back if consciousness is switched off.
3. Don't give medicine.

Important! If someone is unconscious, then by default they are considered to have a serious head or neck injury. Do not shake, overturn, or carry the person. Call an ambulance.

Signs of complications of a concussion

Head injuries are insidious in that symptoms may not appear immediately. Even if a person with a concussion was sent home from the emergency room, it is imperative to call doctors in these cases:

1. The headache does not go away and increases.
2. Severe weakness rolls over, coordination is impaired.
3. Vomiting is repeated.
4. Speech becomes slurred.
5. One pupil becomes larger than the other.
6. The person cannot be woken up.

How to treat a concussion

There are three degrees of severity of concussion. With mild, you can be treated at home, and moderate and severe means that you need to lie down in the hospital.

A person with a concussion should not be left alone for two days, because complications may appear at this time.

The main principle of treatment is rest. After an injury, you need to rest more and not worry. The patient should not read, watch TV, play computer games. You can listen to music, but without headphones.

Return to work only when you are fully recovered. You will also have to wait for the cure to get behind the wheel of a car or ride a bike. Contact sports - after the permission of the attending physician.

Full recovery will take from three months to six months.

How to protect yourself from concussion

Concussion occurs most often in children between the ages of 5 and 14. The causes of injury are sports and cycling.

Adults earn concussions in road accidents and falls. It is also a common injury among athletes, especially if the sport is extreme or contact (boxing, rugby).

You don't have to fall on your own to get a concussion. It is enough to catch something heavier than a soccer ball with your head.

It seems that no one is immune from an accident. But conventional safety precautions reduce the chances of a concussion in the head. What to do?

1. Always wear protective equipment when playing sports. Even if you are just cycling, wear a helmet.
2. On a motorcycle - only wearing a helmet.
3. Do any contact sports (boxing, rugby, hockey) only under the supervision of a professional coach.
4. Always wear your seat belt.
5. Keep stairs clear and clear of snow from porch steps.
6. Use stable supports to change the bulb.
7. Always clean up any puddles on the floor immediately. Don't wait for someone to slip.