Concussions: Symptoms and Treatment
What Is a Concussion?
The most common and least serious type of traumatic brain injury is called a concussion. The word comes from the Latin word concutere, which means "to shake violently." A concussion is most often caused by a sudden direct blow or bump to the head.
According to the CDC, between 2001 and 2009, an estimated 173,285 people under age 19 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for concussions related to sports and recreation activities. Other causes include car and bicycle accidents, work-related injuries, falls, and fighting.
Concussion Causes
The brain is made of soft tissue. It's cushioned by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. When you have a blow or bump to your head, the impact can jolt your brain. Sometimes, it literally causes it to move around in your head. Traumatic brain injuries can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves.
The result is your brain doesn't function as it should. If you've had a concussion, vision may be disturbed, you may lose equilibrium, or you may fall unconscious. In short, the brain is confused.
Some things increase your risk for a concussion, including:
- Falls, particularly in children and older adults
- Playing a contact sport
- Lack of proper safety gear or supervision for contact sports
- Car, motorcycle, bicycle, and other accidents that cause a blow to the head
- Being hit, struck with an object, or other physical abuse
- Military service
- An earlier concussion
Other than direct blows to the head, concussions can be caused by foreign objects. You can be struck by something such as during a sports game or get whiplash injuries or blast zone injuries in a war zone.
Sports concussion
In both contact and noncontact sports, athletes are at risk for concussions. This is true whether you're playing Little League or in the pros. The symptoms for a sports concussion are the same as any other type of concussion. But putting an athlete back in the game too soon could be dangerous and lead to a higher chance of another concussion. If you get a second concussion, it may make it much harder to heal and you could have long-term effects such as chronic headaches or learning difficulties. Get cleared by a doctor before you return to sports.