Hit Your Head Hard? Concussion Symptoms and CareUpdated on May 12, 2015
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Have you hit your head hard and don't feel quite right? You may have a concussion. Check the symptoms below to see if you possibly have a brain injury.Source:
Head Injuries and ConcussionsRecently my son was assaulted and ended up with a . It wasn't till a week later that he started to show the symptoms of a concussion. I had to learn what those symptoms are and what they mean, and I am sharing here what I learned, so I can help someone else who has suffered a head injury.
At the time of the assault we were not thinking about a concussion. But a week later my son started having blurry vision, slurred speech, and a massive headache, and every time he lay down and got up he would get very dizzy. We took him to the doctor, where an examination showed that his blood pressure would drop upon lying down. The doctor told us he was showing classic symptoms of a concussion. They gave him a a CAT scan to find out if there was any b fortunately, there wasn’t.
What Is a Concussion?Concussion is moderate to mild traumatic brain injury, also called closed brain injury. It can result from a blow, from striking the head on something, or from a sudden acceleration or deceleration (as from a car crash or explosion) that affects the head. The brain has a soft, gelatin-like texture and floats in a cushion of fluid. If it bounces against the skull, the brain can be injured.
Concussion can happen even if the patient didn’t pass out when he or she got hit or injured, or didn’t have symptoms immediately after the impact. The symptoms may develop over a few weeks and then gradually decline.
Signs of a Possible ConcussionIf you have taken a hard fall or hit your head, you will definitely want to look out for any of the following signs of a possible concussion:
Dizziness or balance problems
Double or fuzzy vision
Sensitivity to light or noise
Feeling slowed down
Feeling "foggy," "not sharp," or confused
Changes in sleep pattern
Concentration or memory problems
Irritability
Feeling more emotional
Slurred speech
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Causes of concussion in a 2007 study of Ontario schoolchildrenSource:
Why You Should See a Doctor for a ConcussionIf you have any doubt about the severity of a head injury do not hesitate to get yourself to the nearest emergency room. A concussion is traumatic brain injury. Head injuries can be life-threatening and are nothing to play around with.
One reason to get medical advice is that concussion may be associated with even more serious injury—with bleeding into the brain (hematoma), brain swelling, or injury to the bones of the skull or neck.
Several years ago my father fell off a ladder. Within days he had a very bad headache. My mother took him to the emergency room. They sent him home twice without X-rays, and said he was just suffering from one of his "normal" headaches. On the third trip there my mother insisted that they do an X-ray. Thank God she did, because the X-ray showed that my dad had a subdural hematoma (bleeding in the brain) which eventually required two brain surgeries.
Had my father gone home after that third trip, he might well have lain down and not woken up. Mostly likely my mother would not have gotten him back to the hospital in time and he would have died.
If there is any indication that you may have injured your brain, get to an emergency room right away, and ask them to do
to find out if you have bleeding in the brain or other detectable injury. Better safe than sorry.
Signs That A Return to the Doctor Is NecessaryAs in all head injuries, monitoring is critical, preferably by someone close to the patient, to watch for any abnormal changes or behaviors. If someone you know has been diagnosed with the symptoms of a concussion, you will want to keep a close eye on that person for several weeks, to make sure there is no worsening of symptoms. Go back to the emergency room immediately if you need to.
Kaiser says to call 911 if any of these symptoms occur after a head injury:
A headache that gets worse or does not go away
Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
Repeated vomiting or nausea
Slurred speech
Extreme drowsiness, or you cannot wake them
One pupil that is larger than the other
Convulsions or seizures
Difficulty recognizing people or places
Increasing confusion, restlessness, or agitation
Loss of consciousness
A Concussion Is Traumatic Brain InjuryIf all you have is a concussion, doctors are unlikely to find visible evidence of it, or prescribe anything that will heal it faster. Nevertheless, even if you don’t have a hematoma or another complicating issue, concussion is, in fact, brain trauma, and you should see a doctor.
A doctor can confirm that your brain has been injured, that you are going to feel sick for a few days or weeks, and that there’s not much you can do about it except take it easy until your brain heals itself. Also, a doctor can give you permission to skip work activities that might be difficult for you—for example if they require balance or concentration you don’t have—and most importantly, support your decision to take a break from activities that might put you at risk of another concussion.
Recovery From Concussion:
Prevent Lasting InjuryIt is clear that the brain can repair a single concussion, or several, but the recovery process is not well understood. It can take weeks, it can be uneven in pace, and it involves changes in the brain’s blood flow, ion balance, glucose (energy) supply, and the shape of the neurons.
There are at least two reasons why it's critical to let the brain repair itself before exposing it to risk of further injury.
A second concussion while the brain is healing from the first one can lead to permanent, this is called Second-Impact Syndrome.
Repeated concussions can lead to progressive brain deterioration (, CTE) which can be diagnosed through an autopsy finding of abnormal accumulations of tau protein in brain tissue.
The Frontline documentary League of Denial offers shocking evidence that hundreds of retired football players have permanently lost mental and emotional abilities because of the repeated brain trauma they suffered. Other athletes—wrestlers, hockey players, soccer players—are also at risk for CTE, as are soldiers subjected to bombs and explosive devices. If you watch the documentary below, you may not want to watch American football any more, or let your kids play it.
Athletes and the Symptoms of ConcussionThere is a lot of pressure on even young athletes to pull themselves together from an injury and get back into the game. If an athlete has had a concussion, though, getting back into the game is NOT an option. The risk of permanent brain injury from a second concussion before the first one is healed is far too serious.
The Centers for Disease Control say, “An individual should never return to competitive sporting or recreational activities while experiencing any lingering or persisting MTBI symptoms.”
Here are some signs that may indicate an athlete has gotten a concussion while playing sports:
Appears dazed
Has vacant facial expression
Forgets his or her assignment
Forgets plays
Disoriented about the game or the score
Has an inappropriate emotional reaction
Displays clumsiness
Answers questions slowly
Loses consciousness
Can’t remember facts like the date, their birthplace, who is President
Displays any kind of atypical behavior
Receiving Proper Care for a Head InjuryThe brain is a vital organ. If it’s injured, it can cause repercussions for life. Although concussion symptoms do not necessarily mean lasting disability, they do indicate that there is a risk of a disabling condition, and they need to be investigated. If you are diagnosed with the symptoms of a concussion, make sure you receive proper treatment and do proper followup with your physician. The good news is that our brains and bodies have amazing powers of healing. Sometimes all that is needed is time.
ReferencesAmerican Orthopedic Association for Sports Medicine.
Brain Injury Association of America. “.”
Kaiser Permanente. “”
Mayo Clinic. “Diseases and Conditions: Concussion.”
US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Send A DonationJust how suicidal are you? OK, admittedly, it’s probably not the best idea to fixate on this question, especially if you are depression or suicidal, but in point of fact “being suicidal” doesn’t mean just one thing. Being suicidal exists on a scale. But how does one quantify how suicidal you are?
Suicide Statistics
Thanks to very depressing research we do know many awful suicide statistics.
than women
Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in the US in 2007
Suicide was the third leading cause of death in people aged 15-24 in 2007
People with anorexia nervosa have a 40 times greater chance of committing suicide than the general population (anorexia nervosa is the most deadly mental illness)
Age, race, substance abuse, mental health and history are all other
(There are lots of other .)
Suicide Self-Assessment – How Suicidal Are You?
Those are the depressing things mental health care professionals should know about suicide in order to properly assess your risk of suicide.
But, what if you’re like me and would like to be able to self-assess suicide risk? How would you assess your suicide risk?
Here’s my completely unscientific suggestion for a suicidal self-assessment. This suicide scale is based on my own experiences please note everyone is different.
0 – No thoughts of suicide. The word suicide doesn’t even enter your head unless provoked. This is how your average person feels about suicide.
1 – Occasional thoughts of suicide. Suicidal thoughts are not frequent and suicidal thoughts don’t cause distress. Thoughts of suicide are mostly academic.
2 – Thoughts of suicide start to become more frequent and begin to feel more personal.
3 – Suicidal thoughts are frequent and are sometimes accompanied by the feeling you might actually commit suicide. Sometimes you feel you want to die.
4 – Thoughts of suicide are frequent and you consistently feel like you want to die.
5 – Thoughts of suicide occur every day. Almost everything reminds you of suicide and death.
6 – Thoughts of suicide, death and dying occur every day and cause you great distress.
7 – You’re obsessed with thoughts of suicide, dying and you start making a plan on how to commit suicide. You have a strong desire to die / end suffering.
8 – You begin putting your sui you are convinced you will commit suicide. You feel you have nothing to live for / others would be better without you.
9 – You write a suicide note and say goodbye to the people in your life. You might feel a sense of relief knowing that you will soon be dead. You might give away your possessions.
10 – You’re in the midst of implementing your plan for suicide. You’re determined to commit suicide.
Suicide Self-Assessment – What does it mean?
The reason I’m posting a suicide scale is to make a point – not all suicidality is the same, but all feelings of suicide should be taken seriously because it&#8217;s a shorter distance between suicide level two and suicide level nine than you would think.
I wrote this suicide self-assessment so that you, each person, can look for warning signs of worsening symptoms. I firmly believe that
I believe that they want help and they want to get better.
But you can get help more easily and more effectively if you talk to someone at suicide level two then at suicide level seven. Ideally no one should have to walk around daily considering ending their lives, but even if you do because of a mental illness like depression or bipolar, try to get that number down as low as possible. Get help.
Scientific Predictors of Suicide
According to a study out of Florida:
This is the
Here are the
Not One More Suicide. Not One More Death.
I have been suicidal so many times, so many days, so many weeks, so many months that I can barely comprehend people without those feelings.
But if I may be so bold, the world would be less without me. The world would be less without my little contribution. I am just one person, sitting in my apartment, crazy, bipolar and lonely, but yes, even I positively impact people.
And I can promise you contribute too.
You might be just a person, alone behind your computer screen. That’s OK. That makes you just like me. You mean something too.
Watch Your Suicide Symptoms – Get Help for Suicidal Thoughts Early
When you self-assess and you’re at suicide level two, you might believe me when I tell you that you matter and you need help. But when you’re at suicide level seven you’re not going to listen to me anymore. You might not listen to anyone. So you need to stop the cycle of suicidal thoughts as early as possible.
Suicidal thinking is just like depression – the worse it gets, the worse it gets.
Tell the Right Person About Your Suicidal Thoughts
Your average friend might not be able to handle the fact that you’re thinking of killing yourself. Believe it or not, that’s pretty normal. Your average person doesn’t want to kill themselves and doesn’t want to think that you would either. So you need you talk about suicide with the right people – health care professionals.
You need to tell your doctor about suicidal thoughts so he can change your meds. You need to tell your therapist about your suicidal thoughts so she can help you through them. Your health care team needs to know.
Suicide – Get Help – You’re Not Alone
Get help for your suicidal thoughts through a
If you need help right now, call a
You don’t have to feel this way. You’re not alone. It gets better.
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