Concussion Signs — Don't Wait to Get Treatment
You don’t have to be a football player to get a concussion, but contact sports render more than their fair share of victims, to the tune of nearly 4 million every year. Emergency departments throughout the country report that about 70% of the traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases they see are children and teens. Sadly, nearly half of the people who sustain head injuries and concussions never seek treatment.
Dr. Perry Weisman at WiseCare Urgent Care understands the serious nature of TBIs and urges everyone in the Severna Park and Pasadena communities of Maryland to learn more about what to look for and when to see a doctor after a blow to the head. If you or a loved one has been in a car crash, sports accident, or fall of any kind that involved a bump on the head, here’s what you need to know.
Concussions 101
A concussion is another name for traumatic brain injury. Anytime you sustain a blow to the head or a sudden jolt, your brain shifts around inside your skull, resulting in damage to the brain. A concussion can be mild with few or no symptoms, or it can be severe enough to cause death.
You may or may not lose consciousness, and your symptoms may wait a day or two to show up. So, with so many variables, how do you know if you have a concussion, and when should you see a doctor — and what could happen if you don’t?
Common signs of concussion
Keep in mind that everyone responds differently to trauma, and the severity of the concussion determines your symptoms. Here are some of the most common:
Headache
Blurred vision
Sleepiness
Nausea and vomiting
Loss of consciousness
Can’t recall the accident
Confusion
Dizziness
Ringing the ears
One pupil bigger than the other
Changes to the senses (taste, smell, light sensitivity)
If you or your loved one has any of these symptoms or a combination of them, especially if they are getting worse, call us or come into WiseCare Urgent Care right away.
My symptoms don’t seem serious; why see a doctor?
Even mild concussion symptoms warrant professional medical attention. You should consider any hit to the head a reason to get checked out. Dr. Weisman knows how to determine the subtle warning signs of brain trauma and can help you avoid further damage with the right treatment plan.
If you choose not to seek treatment, or you seek treatment from an unqualified professional who undertreats or mistreats your concussion, you put yourself at risk for a lifetime of complications.
School and work
Because concussions interfere with your ability to concentrate and focus, you may not be able to continue with your classwork or perform your job. Headaches, vision problems, and constant fatigue are just a few of the concussion-related reasons people are forced to take weeks and months off school and work.
Physical ability
Concussions can also rob you of your coordination and balance. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded can put you and others in danger, so if you have a job that requires driving, you may not be able to work until your symptoms are clear.
Emotions and personal relationships
Untreated, your concussion may lead to more serious and long-term conditions. Anything that persists beyond three months is considered a post-concussion syndrome. These include attention deficit disorder, depression, phobias, anxiety, chronic pain, and addictive behaviors. These may make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships with friends and family.
Don’t take chances — Get checked immediately
Many concussions are mild and can be treated with brain rest. But don’t be fooled by its simple name. Brain rest is a serious treatment that must be followed religiously to allow the brain to heal and recover.
In this era of constant social media and information consumption, this may be difficult to do. Brain rest requires you to cease anything that calls for cognitive activity, like doing math, writing sales reports, watching TV, texting, mingling at social events, and even listening to music. If you ignore this step, you risk prolonging your symptoms and making your brain more susceptible to future damage.
It’s not worth the risk. If you or someone you know has suffered an accident or injury that involved the head, come see Dr. Weisman today and protect your brain from unnecessary damage.