concussions U.3 L.9

a concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that affects brain function

effects are temporary and include headaches, concentration problems, memory, balance, coordination, you rarely lose consciousness, it is possible to have a concussion and not be aware of it

concussions change the level of brain chemicals, recovery time varies, TBI can twist/stretch nerves/cells or change how the chemicals in the brain work for a short period of time, this changes the messages the brain sends

causes of tbi include : illness, infections, strokes, brain tumors, poisoning, etc..

causes of physical tbi : infants - physical abuse, toddlers - falls, children - bicycle collisions, teens/adults - car accidents

sports & tbi : boxing, 20% of football players, 5% of soccer players, 17% horseback riding

symptoms : headache, loss of memory, confusion, they can be physical, cognitive, emotional, mood-related and sleep

physical symptoms : headache, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea,

cognitive symptoms : difficulty thinking clearly, feeling slowed down, difficulty concentrating/remembering new information

emotional symptoms : irritability, sadness, erratic emotions, nervousness/anxiety

other : some symptoms are immediate, some may not show for days, a concussed person can develop a dangerous blood clot/brain bleed that can be fatal

risk factors : falling, physical abuse, vehicle collisions, having concussions before, playing high-risk sports

symptoms of children : loss of balance, tiring easily, lack of interest, crying excessively

complications : post-traumatic headaches, post-traumatic vertigo, post-concussion syndrome, cumulative effects of multiple brain injury, second impact syndrome

MRI’s are a useful resource for finding concussions

boys are twice as likely to be affected by TBI’s, people 15-24 have the highest risk and the risk also increases after the age of 60