What are the symptoms of a concussion?
Disease description:
My younger sister hit her head, and recently she has been experiencing impaired consciousness and frequent dizziness. Could she have a concussion? What are the symptoms of a concussion?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Zhiqin
Concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a sudden displacement of brain tissue within the skull following an external impact to the head, resulting in a series of clinical symptoms. The main manifestations include:
1. Retrograde amnesia: Patients may experience blurred memory or complete loss of memory of events prior to the injury. The duration of amnesia is related to the severity of the concussion.
2. Headache and dizziness: These are the most common symptoms of concussion and may persist for several days to weeks.
3. Impaired consciousness: Brief loss of consciousness, usually mild and short-lived, lasting from several minutes to tens of minutes, rarely exceeding 30 minutes.
4. Nausea and vomiting: Some patients may experience nausea and vomiting after injury, often occurring simultaneously with headache.
5. Sleep disturbances: Including insomnia or excessive drowsiness.
6. Emotional changes: Anxiety, irritability, anger, or depression may occur.
7. Tinnitus: Concussion may also cause tinnitus, which is usually temporary and resolves within two weeks in most patients.
The symptoms of concussion may not appear immediately and sometimes develop gradually hours or even days after the injury. Therefore, patients with head trauma should be closely monitored for subsequent symptoms and seek medical attention promptly to avoid delayed treatment.
