Concussions: What are they and what you need to know!
But do you think it’s a concussion? This is a question I get all the time in the emergency room. What exactly is a concussion and what are the signs and symptoms to watch for? Read along for the answers to these questions and more!
A concussion is also referred to a mild traumatic brain injury. It’s usually the result of a direct blow to the head, fall or whiplash (where the head shakes back forth quickly.) think football tackle, fall backward with head whipping back, car accident or a fight. Contact sports do increase risk of concussions. Concussions are sometimes associated with loss of consciousness but not always.
The symptoms of a concussion vary from person to person and accident to accident. Symptoms can include confusion, headache, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, short term memory loss, nausea with or without vomiting.
A concussion is a clinical diagnosis and imaging isn’t always needed to make the diagnosis. Sometimes imaging, a CT Scan or MRI of the brain, is needed to make sure something more serious isn’t going on. The decision to do this is made based on the nature of the injury and symptoms the child is experiencing and at the discretion of your healthcare provider.
What to do when your child has a concussion? Contact your House Calls for Kids or primary healthcare provider right away to discuss what happened. They will ask you a questions to determine which direction to go in with caring for your child.
Top 5 tips for caring with for a child with a concussion:
Mental rest! Minimize screen time including texting, gaming and tv watching. (Even reading and school work can make symptoms worse.)
Physical rest! Children should return to physical activity or sports until cleared by a medical provider. Is is also important they get plenty of sleep. (You do not need to wake your child every 30 min after being diagnosed with a concussion.)
Return to school and school work as tolerated and when cleared by your pediatrician or HCK provider.
Eat well and balanced diet and drink plenty of non-caffeinated fluids!
Supportive care for symptom control. You can give Tylenol or ibuprofen of headache. Sometimes anti-nausea medication is given when needed.
Most children will recover fully within 3 weeks, however, 10-15% will have symptoms that last longer. If this is the case for your child, ask for a referral to a concussion specialist for further evaluation.
Prevention of head injuries is key! Children should wear appropriate protective head gear and helmets in all contact sports as well as bike riding, skateboarding, skiing, riding a scooter or rollerskating. Seatbelts and properly installed booster seats and carseats can help prevent head injury in the event of a car accident.
Once a child has had one concussion they are at a higher risk of getting another so prevention is especially important.
Have a question? Drop it below! We hope this information helps as we move back in sports season!
