What is it about ?
A concussion is a mild head injury.
Head trauma, also called traumatic brain injury, is a disorder in the functioning of the brain caused by a shock to the head. This dysfunction is temporary.
In the event of a concussion, there is no brain contusion or bleeding inside the skull (intracranial hemorrhage).
Who are the most at risk for concussion?
Adolescents and young adults (10 to 25 years old) are most at risk of a concussion. Indeed, they practice sports and other activities more at risk of shock to the head.
How do you recognize a concussion?
Following a shock to the head, signs of concussion may be:
- loss of consciousness, which lasts a few minutes;
- memory loss, difficulty remembering what happened just before or after the accident;
- headaches ;
- balance problems;
- nausea or vomiting.
How is the diagnosis made?
The doctor will ask:
- what happened ;
- whether the person is unconscious (unconscious), and if so, for how long;
- if the person has had a blackout, and if so, from when to when they do not remember anything;
- if the person has a headache, if they want to vomit,….
During a neurological exam, he will pay attention to warning symptoms, such as paralysis of the arm or leg, double vision, difficulty speaking, or hearing loss. If you have one or more warning symptoms, your doctor will send you to hospital immediately. Indeed, these warning symptoms may be signs of bleeding inside the skull (intracranial hemorrhage) or a brain contusion.
Based on the discussion and clinical examination, the doctor distinguishes between a concussion (minimal or mild brain injury) or a (more) serious brain injury:
- with minimal brain damage, the person has not lost consciousness (no loss of consciousness), but does not remember anything for a period of up to 10 minutes;
- with a mild brain injury, the person is unconscious (unconscious) for a few minutes and cannot remember anything for up to 24 hours;
- if she was unconscious any longer, she might have a brain contusion.
The person concerned decides with the doctor to spend the next 24 hours at home or in the hospital. The doctor will sometimes give “wake-up advice”. This means that someone (a relative or a caregiver) should wake the person up at regular intervals for the first 24 hours to see if they are responding normally and if they are not suffering from nausea, severe headaches or sickness. vomiting.
People are sent to hospital for example in the following cases:
- some children ;
- drunkenness;
- violent shock;
- multiple injuries;
- severe symptoms, for example, severe headache or vomiting;
- abnormal neurological examination.
At the hospital, these people will be observed. Additional examinations such as a CT scan, MRI or electroencephalography (EEG) can be performed. An EEG allows the neurologist to measure brain activity using electrodes placed on the head.
What can you do ?
You need to rest, at least for 1 or 2 days: not to read, not to play sports, not to work or to watch TV.
If you have a headache, you can take a painkiller: paracetamol, ibuprofen or naproxen for example.
Most people recover from a concussion well and do not have any after-effects.
If you are drowsy or confused after a blow or fall to the head, or if the nausea, vomiting and strong headache does not go away, you should contact your doctor.
What can your doctor do?
He will prescribe rest for you. After minimal brain injury, you cannot work for 1-3 days. After a slight brain injury, you cannot work for at least 7 days. The duration depends on your type of work.
Your doctor will check your condition 1 to 2 weeks after the shock. If you still have symptoms or if they have worsened, you will be sent to the hospital for further neurological examinations.
Sources
Main source
Other source
DynaMed [Internet]. Ipswich (MA): EBSCO Information Services. 1995 -. Record No. T116529, Concussion and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; [updated 2018 Nov 30, cited 11.10.2021]. Available from https://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116529. Registration and login required.