Hitting Your Head Again After a Concussion

Concussion - adults - discharge

Brain injury - concussion - belch; Traumatic brain injury - concussion - belch; Closed head injury - concussion - discharge

A concussion may occur when the head hits an object, or a moving object strikes the head. A concussion is a pocket-sized or less severe type of brain injury, which may likewise be called a traumatic brain injury.

A concussion can affect how the brain works for a while. It may lead to headaches, changes in alacrity, or loss of consciousness.

Later yous go home, follow your wellness care provider's instructions on how to take care of yourself. Utilize the information below every bit a reminder.

A pretty good bump on the head, or a violent collision, can exit you feeling woozy and confused, and with a splitting headache. If it's bad enough, y'all may even lose consciousness. So, what causes a concussion? Your brain is a delicate organ encased in bone, your skull. When you fall down, suffer tearing contact during a sports activeness, or hit your head in a motorcar blow, your brain moves just has nowhere to go. Instead, it swirls around inside your head and bumps into your skull. This causes bruising that damages your encephalon. The classic symptom of a concussion is loss of consciousness. Merely many people might experience merely a brief moment of amnesia or disorientation. Typically, you'll accept a headache, feel sleepy, and you may even vomit. Virtually likely you volition non be able to think straight, that is, maybe you lot can't call up the date or your proper noun. You may see flashing lights and even feel like you've lost fourth dimension. Sometimes, it may take a day or two later on the accident for some symptoms to develop. Your doctor will do a physical exam, checking your pupils, your ability to think, your coordination, and your reflexes. The doctor may want to expect for bleeding in your brain, so you may need a CT or MRI scan. You may besides have a brain wave test, or EEG. So, how practise we treat a concussion? First and foremost, you volition demand to rest and be watched -- sometimes in the hospital, and sometimes past a parent, friend, or spouse if yous're at dwelling. For your headache, yous can have acetaminophen. You may need to eat a calorie-free nutrition for a while if yous continue to feel sick, or feel similar airsickness. Y'all'll want to have someone stay with you for the offset 12 to 24 hours after your concussion. Information technology'due south okay to sleep, just someone should wake you up every few hours and ask you a unproblematic question, such as your name, and then watch you for changes in how you look or human action. Obviously, if you were playing sports when yous received a concussion, you most likely will need to stop. Sometimes you can't return to a sport for weeks, or longer, especially if your symptoms don't improve. That'southward because one time you lot've had a concussion, it's easier to get another one, and multiple concussions can lead to long-term encephalon damage.

What to Await at Dwelling house

Getting better from a concussion takes days to weeks, months or sometimes even longer depending on the severity of the concussion. You may be irritable, accept trouble concentrating, or exist unable to call back things. You may also have headaches, dizziness, or blurry vision. These problems will likely recover slowly. You may want to get aid from family unit or friends for making important decisions.

When You lot First Go Habitation

You may use acetaminophen (Tylenol) for a headache. Do not use aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Consult your doc before taking blood thinners if you lot have a history of middle problems such as abnormal heart rhythm.

You do not need to stay in bed. Calorie-free activity effectually the dwelling is okay. But avert exercise, lifting weights, or other heavy activity.

You may want to proceed your nutrition light if you take nausea and vomiting. Beverage fluids to stay hydrated.

Have an adult stay with you for the showtime 12 to 24 hours after y'all are dwelling from the emergency room.

• Going to sleep is OK. Ask your physician whether, for at least the get-go 12 hours, someone should wake you up every 2 or three hours. They can ask a uncomplicated question, such as your name, and then wait for whatever other changes in the style you await or act.
• Ask your doctor how long y'all need to exercise this.

Practise non drinkable alcohol until yous accept fully recovered. Alcohol may dull down how quickly you recover and increment your chance of some other injury. Information technology can also get in harder to make decisions.

Activity

Equally long as y'all take symptoms, avoid sports activities, operating machines, beingness overly active, doing concrete labor. Inquire your dr. when you can return to your activities.

If you exercise sports, a physician will need to check you lot before yous get dorsum to playing.

Make sure friends, co-workers, and family members know nearly your recent injury.

Let your family, co-workers, and friends know that you may be more tired, withdrawn, hands upset, or confused. Also tell them that you may take a hard fourth dimension with tasks that require remembering or concentrating, and may take balmy headaches and less tolerance for noise.

Consider asking for more breaks when y'all return to work.

Talk with your employer nigh:

• Reducing your workload for a while
• Not doing activities that may place others in danger
• Timing of important projects
• Allowing residue times during the day
• Having extra fourth dimension to complete projects
• Having others check your piece of work

A doctor should tell yous when you can:

• Do heavy labor or operate machines
• Play contact sports, such equally football, hockey, and soccer
• Ride a bicycle, motorcycle, or off-road vehicle
• Drive a car
• Ski, snowboard, skate, skateboard, or practice gymnastics or martial arts
• Participate in any activity where there is a chance of hitting your caput or jolt to the caput

When to Call the Md

If symptoms exercise not get away or are not improving later 2 or 3 weeks, talk to your doc.

Phone call the doc if you have:

• A strong neck
• Fluid and blood leaking from your nose or ears
• A hard time waking upward or have become more sleepy
• A headache that is getting worse, lasts a long fourth dimension, or is not relieved by over-the-counter pain relievers
• Fever
• Vomiting more than iii times
• Problems walking or talking
• Changes in voice communication (slurred, difficult to sympathise, does not brand sense)
• Issues thinking directly
• Seizures (jerking your arms or legs without control)
• Changes in behavior or unusual behavior
• Double vision

References

Giza CC, Kutcher JS, Ashwal S, et al. Summary of evidence-based guideline update: evaluation and direction of concussion in sports: written report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2013;80(24):2250-2257. PMID: 23508730 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23508730/.

Harmon KG, Clugston JR, Dec Thousand, et al. American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Position Statement on Concussion in Sport [published correction appears in Clin J Sport Med. 2019 May;29(iii):256]. Clin J Sport Med. 2019;29(2):87-100. PMID: 30730386 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30730386/.

Papa L, Goldberg SA. Head trauma. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill Thousand, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Do. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 34.

Trofa DP, Caldwell JME, Li XJ. Concussion and brain injury. In: Miller Physician, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee Drez & Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. fifth ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 126.

Version Info

Last reviewed on: 6/23/2020

Reviewed past: Amit One thousand. Shelat, Do, FACP, FAAN, Attention Neurologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed past David Zieve, Physician, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.Thousand. Editorial squad.

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Source: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/discharge-instructions/concussion-adults-discharge

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