What do doctors do when a patient has a concussion?

Physical and mental rest Your doctor will recommend that you physically and mentally rest to recover from a concussion. Relative rest, which includes limiting activities that require thinking and mental concentration, is recommended for the first two days after a concussion.

What actually happens to the brain during a concussion?

Within the skull, the brain floats in a protective suspension of cerebrospinal fluid. Concussion occurs when either a direct impact or whiplash effect causes the brain to move inside the head and bump against the skull. As a result, neurons are damaged and the brain may bruise at the site of impact.

Does icing your head help a concussion?

Applying something cold to the injury for up to 20 minutes will reduce external swelling and pain. When a person has a blow to the head, their brain can be shaken inside the skull as well. This may cause a more serious head injury which may make them feel sick or drowsy.

Is a concussion serious?

A single concussion usually doesn’t cause permanent damage to your brain. Multiple concussions over a lifetime may result in structural changes in your brain. Concussions are not usually life-threatening. However, the effects from a concussion can be serious and last for days, weeks or even longer.

Can a concussion paralyze you?

A concussion immediately paralyzes the nervous function of the brain — you can’t sense anything for a moment. But this paralysis is reversible, and goes away not too long after the impact. You don’t actually have to be knocked unconscious to have a concussion.

Is being knocked out a concussion?

After a concussion, some people lose consciousness (“knocked out”) for a short time. However, most concussions do not result in a loss of consciousness. Not being able to remember events (amnesia) prior to, or following the injury, for a period of time is another sign of concussion.

What are the 3 types of concussions?

Types of Concussions

• Grade 1: Mild, with symptoms that last less than 15 minutes and involve no loss of consciousness.
• Grade 2: Moderate, with symptoms that last longer than 15 minutes and involve no loss of consciousness.
• Grade 3: Severe, in which the person loses consciousness, sometimes for just a few seconds.

What makes a concussion worse?

Some people who have had a concussion find that at first it is hard to do their daily activities, their job, to get along with everyone at home, or to relax. Ignoring your symptoms and trying to “tough it out” often makes symptoms worse. Rest is very important after a concussion because it helps the brain to heal.

What happens to your brain when you get a concussion?

The impact damages your brain cells, causing chemical and cellular changes in the brain. The most common cause of a concussion is a hard, direct hit to the head in contact sports. It can also happen from an indirect hit that causes your head to jerk, like when you get whiplash.

What is the best treatment for a concussion?

Simple though it sounds, rest is the best treatment we have today for a concussion. If you think of the brain as an engine, it runs out of gas faster after an injury. Rest is the only way to fill up the tank again. So, the best way to recover is to rest. Rest is important because the brain continues to heal even after all the symptoms are gone.

What are the most common causes of concussions?

Concussions can happen from a direct hit to the head in contact sports, in a car crash, or during a hard fall. But they can also happen from an indirect hit that causes your head to jerk, like when you get whiplash.

What happens to your brain when you get hit in the head?

When your head takes a hit — as often happens in contact sports — your brain shifts or shakes around inside the skull. The impact damages your brain cells, causing chemical and cellular changes in the brain. The most common cause of a concussion is a hard, direct hit to the head in contact sports.