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Overview Of A Concussion
A concussion is a temporary disruption in brain function as a result of a head injury. A concussion causes:
- Headache, confusion, or unsteadiness.
- Losing consciousness which lasts less than 30 minutes or a person doesn’t become unconscious at all.
- Amnesia (memory loss) lasting less than one day.
About 50 % of all head related injuries occur during motor car accidents. Half of head injuries are also caused by assaults, sports and falls.
Symptoms Of A Concussion
A concussion can cause any or all of the following symptoms:
- Headache;
- Neck pain;
- Queasiness or vomiting;
- Faintness or vertigo;
- Hearing loss;
- Blurry or double vision;
- Exhaustion;
- Touchiness, nervousness or change in character;
- Memory loss (also known as amnesia);
- Confusion, trouble focusing or slowing of reaction time; and
- Short-term loss of consciousness.
Symptoms often appear straight away after the injury. Though, in certain cases, an individual will feel okay at first and the symptoms will start to appear minutes or hours later.
Symptoms such as blackout (unresponsiveness), convulsions or suggest a more severe type of head injury.
Treatment Of A Concussion
- Most minor head injuries recover with relaxation and observation.
- Your GP might choose to examine you in the hospital or might send you home for someone to look after you. The GP will give the individual precise instructions about inspecting for danger signs.
When To Phone A GP
- Sleepiness or a decrease in awareness;
- Queasiness or vomiting;
- Confusion or forgetfulness;
- Trouble walking or poor coordination;
- Inaudible speech;
- Double vision;
- Illogical or hostile behaviour;
- Seizures; and
- Deadness or paralysis in any part of the body.
Related Video On Concussions
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