I fell and hit my head what are the symptoms of a concushion?

Answer 1

In a severe impact to the head, the brain moves and hits the skull causing injury. During a boxing match, the brain moves from side to side after the impact of a punch. Following a concussion head injury, confusion and disorientation due to temporary distortion of the brain may result.

Reviewed By

Review Date: 01/11/2011

Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Answer 2

Definition

A concussion is a brain injury that may result in a bad headache, altered levels of alertness, or unconsciousness.

It temporarily interferes with the way your brain works, and it can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination, and sleep patterns.

See also: Concussion - first aid

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

There are more than a million cases of concussion each year in the United States.

A concussion may result when the head hits an object or a moving object strikes the head. A concussion can result from a fall, sports activities, and car accidents. Significant movement of the brain (jarring) in any direction can cause unconsciousness. How long a person remains unconscious may indicate the severity of the concussion.

Symptoms

Concussions don't always involve a loss of consciousness. In fact, most people who have concussions never black out. Some people have had a concussion and never even realized it.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe. They can include:

• Altered level of consciousness (drowsy, hard to arouse, or similar changes)
• Confusion, feeling spacey, or not thinking straight
• Headache
• Loss of consciousness
• Memory loss (amnesia) of events before the injury or immediately after the person regained consciousness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Seeing flashing lights
• Sense of having lost time

Emergency signs:

• Changes in alertness and consciousness
• Convulsions(seizures)
• Muscle weakness on one or both sides
• Persistent confusion
• Persistent unconsciousness (coma)
• Repeated vomiting
• Unequal pupils
• Unusual eye movements
• Walking problems

Head injuries that result in concussion often are associated with injury to the neck and spine. Take particular care when moving patients who have had a head injury.

Signs and tests

A neurological examination may show abnormalities. The doctor will check your pupil size.

Tests that may be performed include:

• EEG (brain wave test) may be needed if seizures continue
• Head CT
• MRI of the head

Treatment

A health care provider will do a brain and nervous system (neurological) evaluation to determine the right treatment for an uncomplicated concussion.

If a blow to the head during athletics leads to a bad headache, a feeling of being confused (dazed), or unconsciousness, a trained person must determine when the person can return to playing sports.

If a child or young adult has lost consciousness, that person should not play sports for a period of 3 months. There is an increased rate of brain injury and occasionally death in persons who have had a previous concussion that resulted in unconsciousness.

You may use acetaminophen (Tylenol) for a headache. Do NOT use aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen, or other similar drugs.

Eat a light diet. Light activity around the home is okay. You do not need to stay in bed. However, avoid exercise, lifting weights, or other heavy activity.

Have an adult stay with you for the first 12 - 24 hours after you are home from an emergency room.

• Going to sleep is okay. For at least the first 12 hours, someone should wake you up every 2 or 3 hours. They can ask a simple question, such as your name, and then look for any changes in the way you look or act.
• Ask your doctor for how long you need to do this.

Do not drink alcohol until you have completely recovered. Alcohol may slow down your recovery, increase your risk for another injury, and make it even harder to make decisions.

A concussion with bleeding or brain damage must be treated in a hospital.

Expectations (prognosis)

Full recovery is expected from an uncomplicated concussion. Dizziness, memory loss, problems thinking, irritability, headaches, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms may occur continue for weeks or even months afterwards.

Complications

• Bleeding in the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage)
• Brain injury that results in physical, emotional, or intellectual changes or deficits

If someone has received a blow to the head, the person should be watched closely for signs of possible brain damage.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if anyone has a head injury that causes unconsciousness, or a head injury without unconsciousness that produces worrisome symptoms.

If symptoms do not go away or are not improving after 2 or 3 weeks, talk to your doctor.

Call the doctor if you have:

• Changes in behavior or unusual behavior
• Changes in speech (slurred, difficult to understand, does not make sense)
• Difficulty waking up or becoming more sleepy
• Double vision or blurred vision
• Fever
• Fluid and blood leaking from your nose or ears
• Headache that is getting worse, lasts a long time, or is not relieved by over-the-counter pain relievers
• Problems thinking straight
• Problems walking or talking
• Seizures (jerking your arms or legs without control)
• Vomiting more than three times

Call 911 or go the emergency room if emergency signs develop.

Prevention

Attention to safety, including the use of appropriate athletic gear, such as bike helmets and seat belts, reduces the risk of head injury.

References

Ropper AH, Gorson KC. Clinical practice: concussion. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:166-172.

Kirsch TD, Lipinski CJ. Head injury. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill; 2006:chap 255.

Heegaard WC, Biros MH. Head. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier;2009:chap 38.

Answer 3

Definition

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that may result in a bad headache, altered levels of alertness, or unconsciousness.

It temporarily interferes with the way your brain works, and it can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination, and sleep patterns.

See also: Concussion - first aid

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

A concussion may result when the head hits an object or a moving object strikes the head.

A concussion can result from a fall, sports activities, and car accidents. Significant movement of the brain (called jarring) in any direction can cause you to lose alertness (become unconscious). How long you remain unconscious may be a sign of the severity of the concussion.

However, concussions don't always involve a loss of consciousness. Most people who have a concussion never black out. You can have a concussion and not realize it.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a concussion can range from mild to severe. They can include:

• Altered level of consciousness (drowsy, hard to arouse, or similar changes)
• Confusion, feeling spacey, or not thinking straight
• Headache
• Loss of consciousness
• Memory loss (amnesia) of events before the injury or immediately after
• Nausea and vomiting
• Seeing flashing lights
• Feeling like you have "lost time"

The following are emergency symptoms of a concussion. Seek immediate medical care if there are:

• Changes in alertness and consciousness
• Convulsions(seizures)
• Muscle weakness on one or both sides
• Persistent confusion
• Persistent unconsciousness (coma)
• Repeated vomiting
• Unequal pupils
• Unusual eye movements
• Walking problems

Head injuries that result in concussion often are associated with injury to the neck and spine. Take particular care when moving patients who have had a head injury.

While recovering from a concussion, you may:

• Be withdrawn, easily upset, or confused
• Have a hard time with tasks that require remembering or concentrating
• Have mild headaches
• Be less tolerant of noise

Signs and tests

The doctor will perform a physical exam and check your nervous system. There may be changes in your pupil size, thinking ability, coordination, and reflexes.

Tests that may be performed include:

• EEG (brain wave test) may be needed if seizures continue
• Head CTscan
• MRI of the head

Treatment

A concussion with bleeding or brain damage must be treated in a hospital.

If the concussion occured during a sporting event and resulted in a headache, confusion, or change in alertness, a trained person must determine when that person can return to playing sports.

Children with concussion symptoms should avoid sports and from being overly active during recess, physical education classes, and other playtimes. Ask your doctor when your child can return to normal activities.

When your child can safely return to normal activities depends on the severity of the concussion. Some children may need to wait 1 to 3 months. Ask your child's doctor if it is okay before the child participates in any activity where there is a risk of hitting or injuring the head. Specifically, ask when your child can:

• Play contact sports, such as football, hockey, and soccer
• Ride a bicycle, motorcycle, or off-road vehicle
• Driving a car (if they are old enough and licensed)
• Ski, snowboard, skate, or participate in gymnastics or Martial Arts

Some organizations recommend that a child who had a concussion avoid sports activities that could produce a similar head injury for the rest of the season.

Treatment for a concussion may include:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for a headache. Do NOT use aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen, or similar drugs.
• Eating a light diet.
• Avoiding exercise, weight lifting, or heavy activities. Light activity around the home is okay. You do not need to stay in bed.
• Avoiding alcohol until you have completely recovered.

An adult should stay with you for the first 12 - 24 hours after the concussion. Going to sleep is okay. However, someone should wake you up every 2 or 3 hours for the at least the first 12 hours. They can ask a simple question, such as your name, and then look for any changes in the way you look or act.

Expectations (prognosis)

Healing or recovering from a concussion takes time. It may take days, weeks, or even months. You may be irritable, have trouble concentrating, be unable to remember things, have headaches, dizziness, and blurry vision. These problems will probably go away slowly. You may want to get help from family or friends before making important decisions.

Complications

Complications from a concussion can include:

• Bleeding in the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage)
• Brain injury that results in physical, emotional, or intellectual changes

The second impact syndrome (SIS) is when a person gets a second concussion while still having symptoms from a first one. This raises the risk for brain swelling, which can be deadly.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if a head injury causes changes in alertness or produces any other worrisome symptoms.

If symptoms do not go away or are not improving after 2 or 3 weeks, talk to your doctor.

Call the doctor if the following symptoms occur:

• Changes in behavior or unusual behavior
• Changes in speech (slurred, difficult to understand, does not make sense)
• Confusion
• Difficulty waking up or becoming more sleepy
• Double vision or blurred vision
• Fever
• Fluid or blood leaking from the nose or ears
• Headache that is getting worse, lasts a long time, or does not get better with over-the-counter pain relievers
• Problems walking or talking
• Seizures
• Vomiting more than three times

Prevention

Attention to safety, including the use of appropriate athletic gear, such as bike helmets and seat belts, reduces the risk of head injury.

References

Ropper AH, Gorson KC. Clinical practice: concussion. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:166-172.

Hunt T, Asplund C. Concussion assessment and management. Clin Sports Med. 2009;5-17.

Reviewed By

Review Date: 01/11/2011

Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Answer 4

A pretty good bump on the head, or a violent collision, can leave you feeling woozy and confused, and with a splitting headache. If it's bad enough, you may even lose consciousness.

So, what causes a concussion?

Your brain is a delicate organ encased in bone, your skull. When you fall down, suffer violent contact during a sports activity, or hit your head in a car accident, your brain moves but has nowhere to go. Instead, it swirls around inside your head and bumps into your skull. This causes bruising that damages your brain.

The classic symptom of a concussion is loss of consciousness. But many people might experience only a brief moment of amnesia or disorientation. Typically, you'll have a headache, feel sleepy, and you may even vomit. Most likely you will not be able to think "straight," that is, maybe you can't remember the date or your name. You may see flashing lights and even feel like you've "lost time." Sometimes, it may take a day or two after the blow for some symptoms to develop.

Your doctor will do a physical exam, checking your pupils, your ability to think, your coordination, and your reflexes. The doctor may want to look for bleeding in your brain, so you may need a CT or MRI scan. You may also have a brain wave test, or EEG.

So, how do we treat a concussion?

First and foremost, you will need to rest and be watched... sometimes in the hospital, and sometimes by a parent, friend, or spouse if you're at home.

For your headache, you can take acetaminophen. You may need to eat a light diet for a while if you continue to feel sick, or feel like vomiting. You'll want to have someone stay with you for the first 12 to 24 hours after your concussion. It's okay to sleep, but someone should wake you up every few hours and ask you a simple question, such as your name, and then watch you for changes in how you look or act.

Obviously, if you were playing sports when you received a concussion, you most likely will need to stop. Sometimes you can't return to a sport for weeks, or longer, especially if your symptoms don't improve. That's because once you've had a concussion, it's easier to get another one, and multiple concussions can lead to long-term brain damage.

Reviewed By

Review Date: 10/25/2011

Alan Greene, MD, Author and Practicing Pediatrician; also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Answer 5

Dizziness , headaches , etc etc. Go to the doctors just to be on the safe side so if he gets anything worse then a concussion, the doctor will see what they can do.