Concussion symptoms are observed in 70-90% of all cases of neurotrauma. This condition is accompanied by neurological problems. This injury may have immediate or long-term effects. Over time, the functionality of the organ is fully restored, no matter how severe the concussion. The main problem is the correct diagnosis of pathology.
General Description
Before looking at the symptoms of a concussion, it's important to get a general idea of the injury. It is an abrupt, short-term impairment of thought function and cognitive processes as a result of a blow to the head or a fall. The habitual position of the brain changes. It hits the bones of the skull. Moreover, its entire mass is damaged. Suchthe condition is considered the least dangerous among all types of traumatic brain injuries.
The diagnosis is established if the patient has no additional damage to the organ, characterized by hemorrhage, hematoma, edema. If the injury occurs repeatedly, then a person develops a permanent disruption of the brain. Sometimes manifestations are present for several weeks or months. Such a postconcussion syndrome is still poorly understood by specialists.
Most often, the symptoms of concussion are recorded in adolescents and children aged 5 to 14 years. They are most susceptible to falls from a height, a bicycle. Many of them are involved in contact sports: boxing, martial arts, wrestling.
Causes of occurrence
Symptoms of a concussion may appear due to the following factors:
- accident.
- Sudden drop in atmospheric pressure.
- Mechanical injury at work or at home.
- Falling outside in winter.
- Fight.
- Getting hit while exercising.
Whatever the cause of the injury, even with a slight blow to the head, you need to be examined to rule out the onset of complications. A direct blow is not necessary for symptoms to develop after a concussion in adults or children.
Symptoms of pathology
With a mild concussion, the symptoms disappear alreadyin a few days. But in severe form, they can bother longer. Depending on how much time has passed since the injury, the symptoms will vary. Information about them for the convenience of perception is placed in the table.
| Period | Manifestations |
| Immediately after impact |
The main symptom of a concussion is dizziness and nausea. But there are other signs:
|
|
In 2-4 hours |
|
| For 3-5 days |
|
Symptoms of a concussion in adults (as well as in children) appear due to disorganization of the interaction of subcortical structures and the cortex, impaired blood circulation and transmission of nerve impulses. The victim should be immediately shown to a traumatologist, neurosurgeon and neuropathologist. Signs can be single or appear in a complex.
You can also highlight the age-related features of symptoms:
- Newborns do not lose consciousness after injury. They become more frequent regurgitation after feeding, vomiting appears. The baby becomes pale and lethargic. These are the main symptoms of a concussion.
- In preschool children, symptoms of mild trauma resolve after a maximum of 3 days.
- For people under 35 years of age is characterized by loss of consciousness. Other symptoms are usually of moderate intensity.
- An older person has symptoms of a severe concussion. The regenerative capacity of the body deteriorates over time. Such an injury may be accompanied by hemorrhage, after which it is very difficult to return to normal life.
On average, the symptoms of a concussion disappear within 2 weeks, but sometimes this period can be longer.
Degrees of severitypathology
The severity of concussion symptoms in both adults and children depends on the severity of the injury:
- Easy. Here, a bruise of the nervous tissue may not appear at all. The patient has a slight pain in the head and a violation of spatial perception. Unpleasant sensations appear within 2-3 days, after which they pass.
- Average. Nausea, frequent vomiting join the headache. There may be fainting. In difficult cases, the victim has convulsions, he loses the ability to move independently.
- Heavy. With such an injury, the risk of complications increases. In the absence of timely assistance, a person dies. The symptoms of a severe concussion are pupil dilation, severe seizures.
In the last form of pathology, a long rehabilitation is needed, but even it does not guarantee a complete restoration of the functions of the organ.
Injury Diagnosis
Even with mild concussion symptoms, the patient needs a thorough examination. It provides:
- X-ray. It will not give data on the state of the brain, but will allow you to assess the integrity of the bones of the skull. The study is considered ancillary.
- Neurosonography. It is used to study the state of the brain in children under 2 years of age. Ultrasound technology is used for diagnosis. It allows you to learn about the functionality of the ventricles of the brain and about its substance. As a result, you can also see the presence of edema, hematoma, hemorrhage. The technique is not used to assess the condition of adults, as they have too thick bones of the skull.
- Echo-EG. Such a study is also prescribed infrequently, as there are more effective ways.
- CT. X-ray, which can be used to examine the state of not only the bones, but also the substance of the brain, to identify areas most affected by injury.
- MRI. Informative diagnostics used as a last resort to determine the general condition of the victim.
- EEG. It is necessary to assess the bioelectrical activity of the brain. Thanks to it, you can find parts of the body that speak of epileptic activity.
- Lumbar puncture. It provides information about the presence of an inflammatory process in the brain. It is done to determine the overall picture of the human condition.
Sometimes the patient's intracranial pressure is measured. Only after diagnosis can a therapeutic course begin. Moreover, the examination should be carried out in the presence of the first symptoms of a concussion.
First aid to the victim
Symptoms after a concussion appear immediately. In severe cases, the patient cannot help himself, so the responsibility lies with others. Sometimes the life of the victim depends on the correctness of their actions. The person needs to be given the following help:
- Carefully place it on a flat surface. At the same time, it is placed under the heada roller or hard small pillow. If the patient is unconscious, then it should not be turned over or moved.
- Protect him from loud noises and bright lights. It is important to ask how the person feels. At the same time, all information must be recorded for transmission to doctors.
- Control blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate. If necessary, even before the arrival of the ambulance, the victim is carried out resuscitation. If he is unconscious, it is important to try to bring him to his senses with ammonia.
- Constantly talk to a person so that he does not fall asleep.
- If there is vomit in the mouth, it must be eliminated.
There are things you can't do. For example, it is forbidden to give a person water or food, medicines (they can blur the clinical picture and aggravate the condition of the victim). Do not apply lotions or compresses to the injured area. It is important to calm the patient, so do not fuss, make noise and panic.
Traditional treatment
If there are symptoms of a concussion after hitting the head, a person is hospitalized. In a hospital setting, he is prescribed the following drugs:
- Diuretics: "Furosemide". They help to reduce swelling that can form after an impact, as nerve tissue is affected. It is better to use osmotic diuretic drugs: Torasemide. However, they are contraindicated if the excretory system is not working well.
- Analgesics. In this case, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will be required: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol. They not only relieve pain, but also stabilize body temperature.
- Broad spectrum antibiotics. They are necessary if the victim has an open injury and there is a risk of bacterial infection of the tissues.
- Sedatives: valerian or motherwort for mild pathology, "Relanium" - for severe. These drugs will additionally help eliminate muscle tremor. They are necessary for panic attacks, fear, increased nervous excitability and anxiety.
- Antiemetic: Cerucal.
- Nootropics: Piracetam. Preparations of this group contribute to the restoration of nervous tissue, the resumption of the normal functioning of the organ.
- Vasotropics: Cavinton. The medicine improves microcirculation, blood circulation and nutrition of brain tissues.
- Anticonvulsants (for severe convulsions).
For a quick recovery period, the patient will need multivitamin preparations.
After completing the main treatment course, the patient is often prescribed physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage. After an injury, it takes time to fully restore the functionality of the brain. For several months, he should work in a sparing mode, have more rest. From everyday life it is better to avoid stress, emotional outbursts, unrest. Intense physical activity is prohibited.
Adults in bed rest after injurylasts 2-3 weeks, in children - up to a month. In difficult cases, when the brain is severely compressed, there is a skull fracture with penetration into soft tissues, extensive organ edema or hematoma requires surgery. It will help eliminate life-threatening changes in the cerebrospinal fluid, cortex or subcortical structures.
Folk Therapy
So, what are the symptoms of a concussion are already clear. It is possible to treat such a pathology with the help of folk remedies, but all prescriptions must be agreed with the doctor. The following tools will be useful:
- Collecting herbs: mix 100 g of mint, mistletoe and motherwort with 75 g of lemon balm and pour 0.5 l of boiling water. It takes 6-8 hours to infuse, so it is better to prepare the remedy at night. It should be consumed 50-100 ml up to 4 times a day.
- Collecting herbs: mix 20 g of pre-crushed valerian herb with lemon balm, mint, hop cones (10 g of each plant). Requires 2 tbsp. l. composition, pour 300 ml of boiling water and let the liquid brew for 15 minutes. Further, the solution is filtered, cooled and consumed before going to bed. You need to drink the entire amount of liquid received at a time.
- Black thyme. Need 1 tbsp. l. dry grass pour 2 cups boiling water and bring to a boil over low heat. You need to take liquid 3 times a day for half a glass before meals. The therapeutic course lasts 3 months.
- Ginkgo biloba powder. It should be taken twice a day for 1 tsp. The course of therapy lasts six months. The product can be taken with water or added to food.
- Cinnamon andmint. Requires 1 tbsp. l. plants and 1 tsp. spices. The mixture is poured into 1 liter of boiling water and infused in a thermos. Do it better in a thermos. You need to drink the medicine 100 ml 4-6 times a day. This remedy quickly relieves headaches.
The patient is forbidden to give any alcohol-based tinctures. During preparation and use, the dosage and instructions must be strictly observed.
The consequences of injury
In general, a concussion is a pathological condition after which the functionality of an organ is fully restored. But here you need to take into account the severity of the injury, as well as the timeliness of assistance. Moreover, complications can be instantaneous or appear after a few months (years). Usually after a concussion, the following consequences are noted:
- Systematic long-term headaches that can only be eliminated with pills.
- Sleep problems: insomnia, nightmares.
- Dizziness (especially after exercise).
- Heightened sensitivity to weather changes.
- Poor tolerance to high and low temperatures.
- Deterioration of logical thinking.
- The appearance of a tendency to frequent viral and infectious diseases.
- Mood swings.
- Disturbance of coordination of movements due to problems with reflex functions.
- Difficulties with the assimilation of information in children and adults.
- Intolerance to alcohol, cigarette smoke.
- Change in character traits, behavior.
- Fatigue, reduced performance.
- Problems with the senses: changes in taste, impaired hearing and smell.
- Disturbed appetite up to anorexia or bulimia.
- Epilepsy, periodic spasms of muscle tissue.
- Convulsions.
- Decrease in cognitive functions: memory, attention.
With frequent concussions, a person can develop dementia - persistent dementia. In this case, a person often loses the ability to serve himself and becomes disabled. The effects of an injury can last a lifetime.
Recovery and prevention
The period of rehabilitation after an injury depends on its severity, the age of the victim, the correctness of the treatment. Basically, its duration is 3-12 months. After discharge, the patient must follow the recommendations of specialists:
- Do light exercise in the morning, avoid heavy lifting.
- Do not be in a stressful state, do not get into situations that cause strong emotions, nervous strain.
- Stay on a diet. The menu should include only those dishes that are easily digestible. And the body must also receive enough nutrients so that brain cells recover faster.
- Minimize exposure to external stimuli.
- Keep your sleep and rest schedule.
- Gradually adapt the body to normal life.
- It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol.
- Do not abuse sedativesmedicines.
- During the recovery period, you should not sit at the computer or in front of the TV, as fast frame changes slow down the recovery process. Video game banned.
Within 1 year after the injury, the patient will have to periodically visit a neurologist to monitor the condition and prevent the development of complications. After a concussion, a person should be on sick leave from 2 weeks to 4 months (depending on the severity of the condition).
Elderly patients, people with bleeding disorders, after brain surgery are more prone to the occurrence of consequences after an injury.
To prevent injury, it is important to follow these preventive rules:
- Use protective gear when exercising.
- Do not litter the steps in the house.
- Use your seat belt while driving.
- Use personal protective equipment when performing repairs.
- Cycling with a helmet on.
Concussion is a difficult pathology after which the organ recovers quite quickly. But it is capable of giving difficult complications that can remain for life. Therefore, after receiving even a slight head injury, you should consult a doctor.
