First aid, what are the symptoms of a concussion?

By Cristiano Antonino On Jun 15, 2023

Concussion is the sudden but short-lived loss of mental function that occurs after a blow or other injury to the head. It is the most common but least serious type of brain injury

The medical term for concussion is minor traumatic brain injury.

Symptoms of concussion include brief

loss of consciousness after the head injury
periods of memory loss
disturbances in vision, such as “seeing stars” or blurry vision
a period of confusion, a blank expression, or a delay in answering questions immediately after the head injury

If a brain scan is carried out, concussion is only diagnosed if the scan is normal – for example, there is no bleeding or swelling of the brain.

When to seek medical help

Concussion should only be diagnosed by a health professional trained in assessing patients with head injury. They will be able to rule out serious brain injury that needs a brain scan or surgery.

You should visit your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department if you or someone in your care has a head injury and develops the following signs and symptoms:

loss of consciousness, however brief
memory loss, such as not being able to remember what happened before or after the injury
persistent headaches since the injury
changes in behaviour, such as irritability, being easily distracted or having no interest in the outside world – this is a particularly common sign in children under five
confusion
drowsiness that occurs when you would normally be awake
loss of balance or problems walking
difficulties with understanding what people say
difficulty speaking, such as slurred speech
problems with reading or writing
vomiting since the injury
problems with vision, such as double vision
loss of power in part of the body, such as weakness in an arm or leg
clear fluid leaving the nose or ears (this could be cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds the brain)
sudden deafness in one or both ears
any wound to the head or face

Anyone drunk or high on recreational drugs should go to A&E if they have a head injury as it’s easy for others around them to miss the signs of a more severe injury.

Phone Emergency Number for an ambulance immediately if the person:

remains unconscious after the initial injury
is having a seizure or fit
is bleeding from one or both ears
has been vomiting since the injury
is having difficulty staying awake, speaking, or understanding what people are saying

Certain things make you more vulnerable to the effects of a head injury

These include:

being aged 65 or older
having previously had brain surgery
having a condition that makes you bleed more easily, such as haemophilia
having a condition that makes your blood more prone to clotting, such as thrombophilia
taking anticoagulant medication, such as warfarin or aspirin, to prevent blood clots

There are things you can do at home to help relieve concussion symptoms, including

apply a cold compress to the injury to reduce swelling – a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel will do
take paracetamol to control any pain – do not use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or aspirin, as these can cause bleeding
avoid drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs

Read more about how concussion is treated, including information on self care tips and when you can return to playing sport.

Recovery

After experiencing concussion, careful monitoring is needed. This is usually for 48 hours.

This is because the symptoms of concussion could also be symptoms of a more serious condition, such as:

subdural haematoma – bleeding between the skull and the brain
subarachnoid haemorrhage – bleeding on the surface of the brain

Outlook

While the medical term “minor traumatic brain injury” can sound serious, the actual extent of damage to the brain is usually minimal and does not cause long-term problems or complications.

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There is evidence that repeated episodes of concussion could cause long-term problems with mental abilities and trigger dementia. This type of dementia is known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

However, this seems to only be a significant risk for professional athletes who experience repeated episodes of severe concussion, such as boxers – CTE is sometime nicknamed “boxer’s brain”.

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a poorly understood condition where symptoms of concussion can last for weeks or months afterwards.

Read more information about PCS as a complication of concussion.