A concussion is the mildest forms of traumatic
brains injury, i.e. a head injury in which both the skull bones and the brain
are injured.
Doctors refer to the concussion as Commotio cerebri
(Latin commotio: concussion, cerebri: of the brain). It is caused by
external force or force acting on the head, for example a fall on the
head. The most common cause of a concussion are: smarttechnofy
- A
fall - for example from a ladder, from a
bike, while skiing or slipping on an icy road.
- Strong
bumping of the head against hard resistance, for
example against a wall or furniture.
- Violence : For example, a fight in which a blow is given to the head.
- Traffic
accident : Here the concussion is caused by a
sudden, strongly accelerated jerk movement of the head (so-called whiplash
trauma).
- Sports
injury : It is common in sports where the
players are exposed to hard knocks (such as soccer, ice hockey, American
football, boxing).
If the head is hit hard, the brain is injured first
at the point of impact (such as the forehead). Due to the force of the
movement, the brain mass then collides with the opposite side of the skull
(e.g. the back of the head) and the fine brain tissue is damaged again, the
contre-coup effect doctors call this strike-counter-strike effect. smoothtechi
In addition, shear forces act on the brain tissue,
as a result of which the nerve tracts are mechanically irritated, compressed,
pulled or interrupted. This causes a temporary loss of function of the
nerves and the typical symptoms of a concussion: brief loss of consciousness,
dizziness, headache ,
memory problems .
In most cases, the symptom subsides within a week
and no damage remains. However, sometimes complications occur after a
concussion and life-threatening cerebral hemorrhage or swelling develops.
Concussion: symptoms
Symptoms for a concussion are varied. They
depend on which part of the brain is affected and how badly it
is. A concussion can be recognize by the following
symptoms :
- Drowsiness - some feel a kind of cotton wool sensation ("fog
in front of the eyes"). The affected person may still be drowsy
for some time after the head injury.
- Brief loss of consciousness lasting a few seconds to fifteen
minutes at most.
- Disorientation, confusion mucommucation
- headache
- Neck
pain
- Loss of memory in relation to the injury event: The person affected
usually cannot remember the time immediately before or after the accident
(retrograde or anterograde amnesia).
- Balance disorders, dizziness: The person concerned has problems
getting up and is unsteady on his feet.
- Nausea, nausea and vomiting
- Heart rate and blood pressure fluctuations
- Visual
disturbances (for example, "stars in front of
the eyes")
- Pale skin
There is still the popular belief that a concussion
always leads to unconsciousness. But that's not true, it actually occurs
rather rarely (only in every tenth case).
On the other hand, with a concussion, people often
experience dizziness, confusion, and memory loss related to the
accident. Some people just get a headache from a concussion.
In addition to the acute symptoms, some symptoms
may appear later - hours or days after the head injury:
- Sensitivity to light and noise, as well as the sense of smell and
taste, can be impaired
- Nausea, vomiting
- Anxiety, depressed mood
- irritability
- Slowing of thinking and delayed reacting
- Attention and concentration disorders
- easy fatigue
- increased or decreased need for sleep, sleep disorders
- Visual disturbances (blurred vision) appleinfocom
Even if the symptoms disappear again within seven
days in 85 percent of cases, a concussion is not automatically considered
harmless. Serious complications can arise even with a minor traumatic
brain injury. Life-threatening cerebral hemorrhage (intracranial
hemorrhage in technical terms, Latin intra: inside, cranium: head) can occur 48
hours after the concussion.
A tragic example of this is the skiing accident of
British actress Natasha Richardson, which occurred in 2009. She fell while
skiing and although she was on the slopes without a helmet, no injuries were
apparent. She seemed fine at first. The 45-year-old returned to her
hotel room to rest. Three hours later, she complained of a severe headache
and was admitted to the hospital, and shortly thereafter to the intensive care
unit. Two days later she died of a cerebral haemorrhage caused by the
supposedly harmless fall on her head.
Therefore, in the event of a concussion, anyone who
has hit their head, fallen or suffered a head injury in any other way should be examined by a doctor immediately!
An emergency doctor (emergency number: 112) should
be called if:
- severe headache (also associated with fever ) after a head injury ,
- repeated vomiting,
- different sized pupils,
- a bruise under the eyes,
- Signs of paralysis
- and / or breathing problems occur.
- An emergency doctor is also required if a clear or watery liquid
leaks out of the nose, ear or mouth.
These symptoms can indicate severe brain damage.
What to do if you have concussion
Concussion can happen quickly. But what if
someone had a bicycle accident, for example, and fell on their head? Or if
someone fell off the ladder? Then the emergency doctor (emergency number
112) should be called immediately. computerlg
If the person concerned has milder symptoms such as
headache after the head injury, they can also go to the emergency room of a
hospital - preferably together with an accompanying person.
There, a doctor or team of doctors examines the
patient and can use imaging methods such as computed tomography (CT)
to determine how severe the traumatic brain injury is, whether there is an
injury to the skull bone and whether there is a cerebral hemorrhage.
Often times, the patient is advised to remain in a
hospital for observation for the first 24 hours after the concussion. This
is particular the case if the person concerned has the following risk factors:
- Taking blood-thinning medication
- Clotting disorders
- the head injury occurs under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Fracture of the skull
- an epileptic fit that occurred in connection with the traumatic
brain injury
- Bruise in the eye socket
- Vision or hearing problems after the traumatic brain injury
- Movement disorders as a result of the head injury
After 24 hours, the risk of cerebral haemorrhage is
quite small, so the patient can go home.
If you have a concussion, the most important
treatment measure is getting adequate bed rest. Usually two to three days are enough. In the beginning,
give your brain plenty of rest and relaxation throughout the day. Getting
enough sleep is also very important for healing.
The damaged nerve tissue has to regenerate, so
expose your brain to as few stimuli as possible in the first week. Do
without television, smartphones and computers. A little reading or a nice
chat, on the other hand, can be good.
The body makes itself noticeable when it gets too
much: If you have trouble concentrating and get tired, rest again.
You should also limit physical activities in the
beginning and completely avoid sport, physical housework or
gardening. However, a leisurely walk is recommended and can promote the
regeneration process.
When you notice that the symptoms are subsiding and
that the performance of your brain is returning to normal, you can gradually
undertake more mental and physical exertion again. But only when there are
no more symptoms should you do this as usual.
You can relieve headaches with a pain reliever,
such as the active ingredient paracetamol. Do not use any preparations
containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), as these have a blood-thinning effect
and can aggravate subsequent bleeding!
A stomach preparation, for example with the active
ingredient metoclopramide, helps against nausea. In some case, headache
and neck pain may also require physical therapy.
