Concussions have become a common household term due to their high rates in professional sports, mainly the National Football League. According to the Mayo Clinic, concussions occur from head trauma and result in impaired memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance and coordination. In addition, MedlinePlus reports that more than a million cases of concussions occur each year in the United States.
Immediate Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common immediate symptoms are confusion and amnesia. You may be confused about where you are, the date, your name or what happened. Amnesia is a loss of memory. This is important in diagnosing a concussion, because the loss of memory usually includes the event that caused it. Other immediate symptoms include headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech and fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you are experiencing any of these immediate symptoms of a concussion, seek immediate medical attention. It is important for your doctor to rule out more serious causes that may be related to these symptoms.
Delayed Symptoms
Other symptoms of a concussion may not become apparent until hours or days after the event that caused it. The Mayo Clinic states that memory or concentration problems, sensitivity to light and noise, irritability and depression can be delayed symptoms of a concussion. Seek medical advice from your doctor if you are having these symptoms hours or days after having a concussion.
Symptoms in Children
Because young children may not be able to communicate their experience, it is important to look for other symptoms in children if they experience head trauma. These nonverbal symptoms include listlessness, fatigue, irritability, crankiness, a change in eating or sleeping patterns, lack of interest in playing and loss of balance, according to the Mayo Clinic. Immediately seek medical attention if you have any concern about your child having a concussion.
