Concussion - Watch your Head
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.
A concussion is a serious injury and may result in a variety of non-specific signs and / or symptoms and most often does not involve loss of consciousness. If you’ve suffered a concussion, here are some symptoms you may experience: headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to noise, difficulty remembering, fatigue or low energy, more emotional.
This type of injury will have an impact on your daily activities. Here at PhysioFirst, we work towards gradually progressing your physical and mental activity to make a full return to your regular routine. With this type of injury, rest is very important and any activity that triggers symptoms must be stopped until symptoms subside. Recovering from a concussion properly is important as you may remain with post-concussion symptoms if you do not. Depending on the severity of the injury, the healing process and timeline for a full recovery is different for each individual.
Growing up as an athlete, I witnessed teammates suffer concussions and the effect that this type of injury can have on a person’s wellbeing. Here is the touching story of a teammate and friend: “After suffering my 6th concussion during practice at the beginning of the 2018 season, the doctor told me that my head was too fragile to keep playing hockey and that if I hit my head again, there will be more severe consequences. To this day, I continue to struggle with symptoms on a daily basis. It was a hard decision to make, but I realized that continuing to play the sport I love would put my health in jeopardy.”
I also suffered a concussion while playing soccer. At first, I did not understand what was happening. I continued playing for a few minutes and I kept blacking out. As I went off the field, I explained to my coach what was going on. He explained to me that I had suffered a concussion and that I needed to stop playing immediately. I was unable to concentrate at school, I had blurred vision while reading and felt nauseated. It took me 2-3 weeks to recover with the help of health care professionals. I slowly returned to my regular activities and did not have any post-concussion symptoms.
The importance of concussion treatment has evolved over the past few years. Some may say: “You’ll be fine, its just a small bump to the head”. Listen to your symptoms, you are in control of your own body. Take the matter into your own hands.
Thanks!
Britt
If you believe that you may have suffered a concussion, give us a call at (506) 473-7064.