Is concussion a brain injury?
Yes, in fact most brain injuries each year are concussions or “mild TBI” (mTBI) often caused by bumps, blows, or jolts to the head or by a hit to the body causing the head and brain to move quickly back and forth (whiplash). This movement can cause:
- Brain to bounce around or twist in the skull
- Chemical changes in the brain
- Stretching, shearing and damaging brain cells
Concussions are usually not life-threatening. Even so, symptoms and effects can be serious and long lasting.
What to do after a concussion?
Get assessed by a healthcare provider. CDC Guidelines
There are tests to check for mTBI or concussion. Symptoms may not appear immediately but often include headache, confusion, and other brain changes that may affect how a person thinks, learns, feels, acts, and sleeps.
If you can’t visit a healthcare provider in person, consider telemedicine.
Just walk it off?
Often in sports, athletes who take a hit to the head insist, “Put me back in,” or a coach will say, “Just walk it off.”
Bad ideas.
- Blows to the head lead to flawed decision making
- Many sports have concussion protocols, get evaluated
- Repeat injuries can occur and lead to worse things
- Let your brain rest, you only get one and there will be other games
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