A: Gradually over 1 to 2 weeks you can increase your physical activity level, but listen to your body and rest when needed. Q: When is it okay to resume sports? A: It is important not to resume sports until you are symptom free or cleared by a healthcare provider.
A second concussion that happens before the first one is healed can have dangerous long-term effects. You can expect the symptoms of a head injury to gradually improve over 1 to 4 weeks. During that time, your symptoms can fluctuate in intensity:. Headaches are common and can be relieved with acetaminophen Tylenol. Patients with migraines may notice worsening.
Fatigue and sleep problems go hand-in-hand and tend to worsen each other. Fatigue tends to be worse in the evening and makes symptoms more noticeable.
Listen to your body and rest when needed. Memory problems such as organizing tasks or remembering names or the grocery list, may occur. Seizures are rare, but may occur in the first week after a brain injury.
Medication may be taken for 3 to 7 days to prevent seizures. Prevention of a second injury during recovery is important because having a concussion increases the risk of a second concussion by 5 times, and a second concussion soon after the first increases the risk of dangerous brain swelling. In more severe cases of postconcussion syndrome, cognitive behavioral therapy may be helpful. Links BIAusa. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.
This information is not intended to replace the medical advice of your health care provider. Through our affiliation with premier hospitals in the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky region, Mayfield physicians provide the most highly skilled surgical care available to patients who suffer neurotrauma.
We collaborate with trauma surgeons, neurologists, and neurointensivists, who work one-on-one with patients and families. And we work closely with dedicated nurses, who are trained to help you understand your loved one's condition and gain access to available resources. To make an appointment call Make an Appointment. These concussions always warrant immediate medical attention from a trained professional, and may have permanent effects on coordination, speech, and cognition.
In most cases, the diagnosis and treatment of a concussion is similar to that of a head contusion—the doctor will make a thorough inspection of the injury, and may prescribe bed rest, medication, or surgery as needed based on their observations. One general concussion protocol to remember when it comes to treatment is this: The sooner you can seek treatment for a concussion, the better.
Leaving a head injury undiagnosed and untreated for too long can result in severe, long-lasting effects. Concussion recovery times can vary greatly from one case to the next based on a variety of factors. For example, a mild concussion with no epidural or subdural hematomas blood clots in the brain can take mere days to fully recover from, if any symptoms are noticeable in the first place.
Meanwhile, a severe concussion can take years to recover from—if a full recovery is even possible in the first place. Some severe concussions can cause permanent brain damage that is impossible to recover from. Wondering how you can test for a concussion or contusion? Concussion testing is often done for athletes such as football players and boxers well before any head injuries can occur. These tests should be the same as whatever tests you plan to use for a post-injury concussion check.
There are numerous testing methods that can be used to assess the likelihood of a concussion after an injury. Ideally, these tests should be conducted by an expert to properly assess the presence and severity of a concussion. Ultimately, if you suspect a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, you should immediately seek professional medical assistance. Leave a Comment. Spinal cord injuries are traumatic for patients and their families.
They cause disruptive changes to every aspect of your life and there is a lot of new information to navigate and understand. Our experts have collected everything in one place to help you learn more about your injury, locate doctors and treatment centers, find financial support, and get assistance navigating your next move. Contusion vs. Here is some information to help you answer these questions: What is a Contusion? What is a Concussion? Contusion Vs Concussion One might assume a concussion is just a more serious contusion.
The difference between the two ultimately comes down to a simple distinction: A contusion is any injury that causes blood to collect under the skin. Contusions range from relatively minor to life-threatening. Because the blood must clot to stop the bleeding a bruise results from, contusions also increase cardiovascular risks. A concussion is an injury resulting specifically from brain trauma.
These injuries can have both temporary and lasting effects, which will be explained below. Contusion Symptoms For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the effects of head contusions. When symptoms are present, they range from minor to life-threatening, and can include: Changes in cognition such as alterations in personality, or reductions in intelligence. Difficulty understanding speech. Memory challenges.
Localized numbness or tingling. Difficulty coordinating movements. Difficulty speaking. Problems with attention. A contusion often occurs after a fall or a blow to the head with a hard object. Types of Contusions Contusions in the head can vary in severity depending on their location and the amount of internal bleeding that occurs.
Mild Contusions Common head injuries resulting from blows to the head such as from walking into an object headfirst, being struck with a baseball, or similar events can result in a mild contusion.
Moderate Contusions Moderate contusions may cause internal bleeding near or around the brain, and are often caused by more severe head traumas. Severe Contusions Severe contusions can be life-threatening conditions that require immediate medical attention.
Contusion Treatment Contusion treatment options will vary depending on the severity of the contusion and its location in the head. Concussion Symptoms Types of Concussions There are different types of concussions that vary in severity depending on the location of the injury, the amount of force involved, and whether any hematomas i. During any severe blow to the head, the same thing is happening.
The brain twists, the circuits can break, and the damage sends the brain into crisis. But different parts of the brain can be affected.
Concussions typically cause vision problems, disorientation, memory loss, headaches, balance issues, and a host of other ailments as the circuits that undergird these functions go down.
It depends on the severity of the injury. If you lose consciousness briefly, and suffer a concussion, 75 to 90 percent of people will fully recover in a few months. But severe damage to the brain can cause unconsciousness for days, weeks, or even longer. If there is internal bleeding or swelling in the brain, surgery may be necessary to relieve pressure on the brain.
Severe injuries can also cause lasting effects that vary — including memory loss, paralysis , seizures, and lasting behavioral or cognitive changes — depending on the areas of the brain affected.
But in those cases, unconsciousness is a symptom of the injury, not a cause of long term deficits. If the loss of consciousness is very brief — less than a minute — and the other symptoms of a concussion disappear quickly, a visit to a primary care doctor would be sufficient to make sure there is no danger.
Doctors will check to make sure there is no internal bleeding or bruising that can be dangerous. But that is not correct — these are serious injuries that need to be addressed by a doctor or trained professional in order to prevent lasting damage. For athletes, young and old, the risks of a head injury can be mitigated by a lot of factors, including knowledgeable coaches, enforcement of rules meant to limit the risk to players, and even just making sure equipment is in good shape and fits properly.
Those precautions can prevent a lot of harm, and risks should be balanced with the benefits of any sport or physical activity. Michael W. Richardson Michael W. Richardson is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York, covering topics ranging from the brain and behavior to the environment. Every month, we choose one reader question and get an answer from a top neuroscientist.
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