Concussion and Head Trauma

If you have kids in sports you will likely deal with concussions at some point. Concussions can occur after a blow to the head or extreme shaking of the head or body. Sometimes you will loose consciousness and sometimes you won't. I think I've had one of each. I say I think, because when a person does not loose consciousness they may not know that they have a concussion. Concussions do cause injury to the brain and need time to recover. Recovery may take from days up to several weeks.

The Mayo Clinic reports the following information about concussions:

Signs and symptoms of a concussion are:

• Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head
• Temporary loss of consciousness
• Confusion or feeling as if in a fog
• Amnesia surrounding the traumatic event
• Dizziness or "seeing stars"
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue

In infants and young children you can look for:

• Listlessness, tiring easily
• Irritability, crankiness
• Change in eating or sleeping patterns
• Lack of interest in favorite toys
• Loss of balance, unsteady walking

See a doctor within one to two days if:

• You or your child experiences a head injury, even if emergency care isn't required

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you call your child's doctor for advice if your child receives anything more than a light bump on the head. If your child remains alert, moves normally and responds to you, the injury is probably mild and usually doesn't need further testing. In this case, if your child wants to nap, it's OK to let them sleep. If worrisome signs develop later, seek emergency care.

Seek emergency care for a child who experiences a head injury and:

• Vomiting
• A headache that gets worse over time
• Changes in his or her behavior, including irritability or fussiness
• Changes in physical coordination, including stumbling or clumsiness
• Confusion or disorientation
• Slurred speech or other changes in speech
• Vision or eye disturbances, including pupils that are bigger than normal (dilated pupils) or pupils of unequal sizes
• Changes in breathing pattern
• Lasting or recurrent dizziness
• Blood or fluid discharge from the nose or ears
• Large head bumps or bruises on areas other than the forehead, especially in infants under 12 months of age

Seek emergency care for anyone who experiences a head injury and:

• A loss of consciousness lasting more than a minute
• Repeated vomiting
• Seizures
• Obvious difficulty with mental function or physical coordination
• Symptoms that worsen over time

For more information you can visit http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/concussion/DS00320/METHOD=print