A concussion is a brain injury caused by a sudden blow or stop. Symptoms can include dizziness, loss of consciousness, and nausea. Mild to moderate concussions usually resolve after rest, but severe cases can cause long-term effects. Post-concussion syndrome can cause weakness, mood swings, and cognitive problems. Proper headgear is important for athletes to prevent permanent brain damage.
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a strong blow or sudden stop following an event. Normally, the brain floats inside the skull in a protective pool of spinal fluid, but certain actions like a hard tackle or car accident can literally slam the entire brain against the inner walls of the skull. The resulting damage can be mild to severe, depending on the intensity of the blow and the brain’s ability to realign itself afterward. Many people recover from a minor concussion within hours, but others may experience symptoms for weeks after the event.
A typical concussion scenario can occur during a sporting event such as soccer. A defender can make a hard tackle on the quarterback after a pass and the quarterback will go down. Meanwhile, the quarterback’s brain tries to stay focused in one direction while his body is violently hurled in another. When the quarterback hits the ground, his brain shakes with momentum.
For a few minutes, the affected player may experience dizziness, loss of consciousness, weakness on one side of the body, or irregular dilation of the pupils. He may feel nauseous or have seizures. This is a classic example of a concussion.
The effects of a mild to moderate concussion usually resolve after a few hours of rest. There may still be some problems with vision or orientation, but the brain should eventually recover from the injury over time. The more severe form, however, can be characterized by a long period of unconsciousness, mood swings, depression and bleeding within the brain. This level of injury can usually be diagnosed through the use of MRI or CT scans soon after the accident. Not all bleeding or bruising in the brain is considered life-threatening or life-threatening, but a concussion can aggravate existing, previously undiagnosed conditions.
Some people who suffer from a concussion may experience a condition known as post-concussion syndrome. Even after a few weeks, sufferers of this syndrome may still experience weakness on one side of the body, extreme mood swings, and/or problems with basic cognitive functions, such as memory or orientation. This is why many doctors recommend that friends and family see anyone who has had this injury in the past few months. Any significant changes in personality or cognitive abilities should be noted for future reference.
A concussion is considered one of the mildest forms of brain injury, so most sufferers should make a full recovery and be able to resume their normal lifestyle. However, there are studies that suggest that a new injury can aggravate an older one and cause even more complications. Professional athletes such as soccer players, martial artists, and boxers who regularly take hard blows to the head should always use proper headgear or consider retiring before permanent brain damage can occur.
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