Concussion: symptoms to look out for

The human brain is reliably protected from external influences by several shells, a special fluid and a strong skull. However, craniocerebral trauma is far from uncommon. They can be as open, when the soft tissues of the head, muscles and bones of the skull are damaged, and closed. There are several types of closed craniocerebral injuries: concussion, bruising or squeezing. Concussion , the symptoms and manifestations of which are least severe, can be obtained during falls, sports, accidents.

Symptoms of concussion may be slightly different depending on its degree. The main ones are: dizziness and headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness. In severe cases, convulsive seizures may occur. Often, recovering from a loss of consciousness, the patient can not remember the previous events, can not understand where he is and what's wrong with him, he does not recognize people familiar to him (the so-called retrograde amnesia). Another sign of concussion is severe fatigue, when patients quickly get tired of even the simplest movements. There may also be increased drowsiness or, on the contrary, sleep disturbances - it becomes superficial.

In the first few days after the injury, there may be an increase in temperature to +37.5 degrees, as well as a violation of thermoregulation: the patient sweats heavily, he throws into a fever. Concussion, the symptoms of which are quite unpleasant, can also lead to a vision disorder: it is difficult for a patient to read, since he can not distinguish individual lines. The headache when trying to read increases. In severe cases, a mental disorder is observed, called traumatic delirium: anxiety, hallucinations, experiences. In this case, a full recovery will take several months. A slight concussion usually occurs after 2-3 weeks, and the patient may be recommended to limit physical activity for up to 3 months.

If you suspect a concussion, the injured person should be laid on his side, unbuttoned his clothes, to ensure free breathing, loosen the belt of trousers. It is necessary to stay with him until the arrival of doctors, especially if there are disorders or loss of consciousness. It should be remembered: craniocerebral injury is often accompanied by damage to the cervical vertebrae, so the patient is extremely undesirable to move or move from place to place.

The main thing - at the slightest suspicion of a concussion, even if there are slight symptoms of it, see a doctor. The trauma is very insidious, and the consequences can only appear after a few months. This applies to trauma of any degree: concussion, the symptoms of which have been negligible, in the absence of adequate treatment, can subsequently lead to more serious troubles than severe but time-treated.

Separately, it should be said about the concussion in the infant. Unfortunately, this situation is far from uncommon. Concussion in the infant occurs most often due to its fall from a height - for example, from a stroller or crib, from a changing table. Since the kids can not describe their condition, we should closely monitor them after such incidents. Signs of concussion, characteristic of infants, are, first of all, frequent regurgitation between feedings and repeated vomiting, pallor and unusual drowsiness, lack of appetite. If one or more of them are observed after the fall of the infant, it is best to seek medical help as soon as possible. Concussion, the symptoms of which were not tracked in time, is fraught with serious problems in the future.