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Injury Resource Center
|About Brain Injury:
A blow or jolt to the head can disrupt the normal
function of the brain. Doctors often call this type of brain injury a “concussion”
or a “closed head injury.” Doctors may describe these injuries as “mild”
because concussions are usually not life threatening. Even so, the effects
of a concussion can be serious.
After a concussion, some people lose consciousness
or are “knocked out” for a short time, but not always — you can have
a brain injury without losing consciousness. Some people are simply
dazed or confused. Sometimes whiplash can cause a concussion.
Because the brain is very complex, every brain
injury is different. Some symptoms may appear right away, while others
may not show up for days or weeks after the concussion. Sometimes the
injury makes it hard for people to recognize or to admit that they are
The signs of concussion can be subtle. Early
on, problems may be missed by patients, family members, and doctors. People
may look fine even though they’re acting or feeling differently.
Because all brain injuries are different, so is recovery.
Most people with mild injuries recover fully, but it can take time.
Some symptoms can last for days, weeks, or longer. (In many cases impairments
can last a lifetime.)
In general, recovery is slower in older persons.
Also, persons who have had a concussion in the past may find that it takes
longer to recover from their current injury.
People with a concussion need to be seen by a doctor.
Most people with concussions are treated in an emergency department or
a doctor’s office. Some people must stay in the hospital overnight for
Sometimes the doctors may do a CT scan of the brain
or do other tests to help diagnose your injuries. Even if the brain
injury doesn’t show up on these tests, you may still have a concussion.
Your doctor will send you home with important instructions
to follow. For example, your doctor may ask someone to wake you up every
few hours during the first night and day after your injury.
Be sure to carefully follow all your doctor’s instructions.
If you are already taking any medicines — prescription, over-the-counter,
or “natural remedies” — or if you are drinking alcohol or taking illicit
drugs, tell your doctor. Also, talk with your doctor if you are taking
“blood thinners” (anticoagulant drugs) or aspirin, because these drugs
may increase your chances of complications. If it’s all right with your
doctor, you may take acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol®* or Panadol®*)
for headache or neck pain.
Danger Signs — Adults
In rare cases, along with a concussion, a dangerous
blood clot may form on the brain and crowd the brain against the skull.
Contact your doctor or emergency department right away if, after a blow
or jolt to the head, you have any of these danger signs:
• Headaches that get worse
• Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
• Repeated vomiting
The people checking on you should take you to
an emergency department right away if you:
• Cannot be awakened
• Have one pupil — the black part in the middle
of the eye — larger than the other
• Have convulsions or seizures
• Have slurred speech
• Are getting more and more confused, restless,
Danger Signs — Children
Take your child to the emergency department right
away if the child has received a blow or jolt to the head and:
• Has any of the danger signs for adults listed
on page 4
• Won’t stop crying
• Can’t be consoled
• Won’t nurse or eat
Although you should contact your child’s doctor
if your child vomits more than once or twice, vomiting is more common in
younger children and is less likely to be an urgent sign of danger than
it is in an adult
"Sometimes the best thing you can do is just
rest and then try again later.”
How fast people recover from brain injury varies
from person to person. Although most people have a good recovery, how quickly
they improve depends on many factors. These factors include how severe
their concussion was, what part of the brain was injured, their age, and
how healthy they were before the concussion.
Rest is very important after a concussion
because it helps the brain to heal. You’ll need to be patient because healing
Return to your daily activities, such as work
or school, at your own pace. As the days go by, you can expect to gradually
If you already had a medical problem at the time
of your concussion, it may take longer for you to recover from your brain
injury. Anxiety and depression may also make it harder to adjust to the
symptoms of brain injury.
While you are healing, you should be very careful
to avoid doing anything that could cause a blow or jolt to your head. On
rare occasions, receiving another concussion before a brain injury has
healed can be fatal. Even after your brain injury has healed, you should
protect yourself from having another concussion. People who have had
repeated brain injuries, such as boxers or football players, may have serious
problems later in life. These problems include difficulty with concentration
and memory and sometimes with physical coordination