Concussion is an injury to the brain usually caused by a bump to the head.
The signs or symptoms of concussion may include the following:
- Mild headache or moderate headache after the bump to the head
- Dizziness or vertigo like symptoms after an injury
- Instability or Loss of balance after bumping the head
- Paleness, Nausea, an unclear head or a change in mood
- Change in the way your child performs in school
- Trouble in thinking or lack of clarity after a bump
- Short term loss of learned skills after a knock to the head
- Lethargy or decrease in energy after a sports injury or bump
- Difficulty sleeping after a bump to the head
These concussion signs may occur immediately or some time after the injury or bump to the head. In some cases the initial bump to the head may be accompanied by loss of consciousness.
Because the symptoms of a concussion injury are often not well understood children and players may put themselves at risk for another injury. Examples may be kids continuing to play a hard sport after a serious knock to the head. Or a skateboarder thinking nothing’s wrong after a fall and bump on the head and continuing to do skating and jumps. Or a team sports player may return to a game before they should.
So why is playing a sport or rough game a problem after a concussion injury? Well when the head is bumped with sufficient force to cause a concussion injury (i.e. some bruising or damage to the brain) – it is important to give the brain time to heal. If the bruised/injured brain hasn't healed properly from a concussion injury and the person gets another brain injury, the cumulative effect can be much more serious.
Repeated injury to the brain can lead to swelling or longer term disability or even death in some cases. So it's really important to recognize and understand the signs of a concussion and take the necessary action to have a checkup.
Need some help for a concussion injury contact the team at Greensborough Family Chiropractic and Neuro Rehab Centre at 03 9432 4644.