Knowing all the main signs, symptoms of concussion, treatment can be started in a timely manner, if necessary. If special therapy is not required, knowing what happened, you can keep the condition under control and monitor the changes. Consider the features of the manifestations of concussion in adults and minors.
Relevance of the issue
Doctors know why they know so well what are the signs of a head blow, concussion - this is common, happens to many. From medical statistics, you can find out that on average of the number of CNS injuries, brain concussions account for 75% of cases. The consequences of the injury affect the health of a person, can change their social capabilities, due to which the timely prevention of concussion, as well as the enlightenment of the masses in aspects of the symptomatology of the phenomenon come to the fore.
Faced with signs of concussion after hitting the head can many. The risk group includes people using vehicles, playing sports, working at a variety of production facilities. Concussions are frequent in children. You can get injured in everyday life. Diagnosis of the condition is difficult, since the manifestations are close to cervical osteochondrosis, vascular insufficiency, high blood pressure. Doctors say that in about half the cases, the patient’s condition is assessed incorrectly (as more severe than it is, or vice versa).
Terms and phenomena
Before considering what are the signs of concussion in a child and an adult, you should refer to the accepted terminology. A brain concussion refers to damage to tissues of an organ, nervous and vascular system, membranes, and bones. This can happen due to an unsuccessful fall, impact on a hard surface. Irreversible effects are possible. There is no exact description of the processes occurring in the brain after an impact. Doctors believe that concussion leads to dysfunction of individual cellular nerve structures, impaired tissue nutrition and displacement of brain layers relative to each other. Microscopic bruises, swelling are formed, blood penetrates from the vessels into nearby tissues. MRI does not show the presence of significant changes in organ morphology.
If signs of a concussion in an adult or a child make it possible to suspect a severe course, there is a chance of serious damage to certain elements of the brain. Blood vessels may burst. This leads to loss of consciousness for seconds or even minutes. The duration of the unconscious state allows you to assess the severity of the injury. The worst case scenario is coma.
Primary manifestations
The first sign of a concussion is the inability to realize what happened as soon as a person regained consciousness. Often it is not possible to figure out where you are, to get to know the people around. The severity of the condition is assessed by the level of retrograde amnesia. The concussion is all the more significant, the longer the time interval it is impossible to remember. The sign is due to a violation of the most important respiratory and regulating the functioning of the heart, circulatory system of the brain centers.
A symptom that helps in the diagnosis of concussion is pallor of the skin in the first hours after injury. A person feels weak, makes noise in his ears, and his head is spinning. Often the headache is disturbing - a strong throbbing in the back of the head. Some vomits, nauseous. Breathing can become frequent. Due to a concussion, an increased heart rate or slowed heart rate is possible. After some time, the parameters return to normal. The pressure can become above average, but it can remain at an average level - this is determined by trauma, concomitant aggressive factors. The temperature remains normal.
How to suspect something was wrong?
Signs, symptoms of concussion include a violation of the functionality of the organs of vision. Some people feel soreness when moving with eyeballs; others find it more difficult to focus their eyes. Pupils can expand or contract, become different in size. A typical manifestation of concussion is a divergence of eyes when trying to read.
Doctors, professionals know how to recognize a concussion, what to do to help the victim, but anyone should have a general idea about it. In particular, it should be imagined which manifestations, after receiving an injury or a blow to the head, signal the need to seek qualified help. These include increased activity of the sweat glands and hot flashes, especially pronounced in the face. Some people feel uncomfortable. Sleep may be disturbed.
Status Progress
As a rule, the manifestations of concussion disappear in the next two weeks after the injury. It is important to remember the possibility of long-term preservation of health disorders. In particular, such a sign of concussion in an adult, a child, such as a headache, can be disturbed for a long time against the background of increased pressure. It is noted that people who have suffered concussions suffer from more significant, intense, prolonged headaches.
Signs and symptoms of mild and severe concussion are determined by the characteristics of the human body. In many ways, they depend on age. For example, if a concussion occurred in a baby, a young child, usually there is no loss of consciousness in principle. At the time of injury, the skin turns pale, which is especially noticeable in the face, the heartbeat intensifies. Gradually, the child becomes lethargic, he is constantly drawn to sleep. Regurgitation is quite often observed, the baby is vomiting. Some have disturbed sleep. Concern is possible. If a preschool child is injured, usually the symptoms completely exhaust themselves in a couple of days.
Age and manifestations: features
The first symptoms of concussion in people in the middle to middle age group, inclusive, are almost always accompanied by loss of consciousness. The older the person, the higher the likelihood of losing the ability to navigate in time, space immediately after injury.
Neurological manifestations with a mild form of damage exhaust themselves in a couple of weeks. Brain metabolism is still malfunctioning for a year, sometimes longer.
Common symptoms
The most common signs of a concussion include nausea and vomiting. This is possible while the person is still unconscious. If it is not known what happened to the victim, it is possible to suggest a concussion by the gag reflex.
After any blow to the head, a person feels pain. This signals a variety of injuries, including a concussion. The patient is either too active, or he is constantly drawn to sleep, his condition is lethargic. Coordination failures may be noted, apparently indicating brain damage. Dizziness is possible at the same time.
A key sign of a concussion is loss of consciousness. A prolonged period of eclipse is possible or short-term - only a few seconds. When examining a person, you should pay attention to the pupils - do the shapes and sizes match.
A concussion indicates a concussion. If a person is conscious, with loud sounds and too bright light, he feels discomfort. During a conversation, manifestations of confused consciousness are possible. Often a person cannot remember what happened before getting injured. Concussion may indicate concussion.
Is it that simple?
Gradually, the signs of a concussion become weaker and disappear. If symptoms are observed for a long time that appear shortly after the injury, the cause may be significant, serious malfunctions of brain functionality. There is a chance of swelling of the organ, hematoma, soft tissue injury.
The problem of clarifying the state is due to the fact that not everyone is able to remember what triggered the concussion. It is not easy to immediately determine whether there are concomitant injuries or a concussion, no brain areas are affected. For example, there are cases when the trauma that provoked a brain concussion leads to damage to the vitreous cranial plate. The condition is not accompanied by external manifestations; upon examination of the patient, the doctor usually diagnoses a mild concussion. There is a danger of a complete absence of symptoms. Gradually, the patient's condition becomes worse, but it is not always possible to connect this with a fall, a blow, which complicates the diagnosis.
Sometimes signs of concussion are followed by aggravated symptoms indicating unhealthy pressure on brain tissue. This develops approximately a couple of weeks after the injury. The condition worsens in stages, and the therapeutic course often involves urgent surgery. In an impressive percentage of cases, the outcome of the operation cannot be predicted in advance.
Where did the trouble come from?
The concussion is associated with a bruise, with a sharp movement or blow. In a predominant percentage of cases, the concussion is observed against the background of a traffic accident, an injury received at the workplace or at home, or sports activity. The spinal column gives an axial load on the cranial bones, which can cause aggressive mechanical effects on the soft tissue when jumping without cushioning or accidental unpredictable fall.
The volumes between the skull and soft tissues are occupied by a specific fluid - cerebrospinal fluid. It allows you to prevent the negative effects of physical activity. If a person accidentally hits something, an inertial counter-directional movement of the brain tissue occurs inside the cranium, which leads to an increase in local pressure. Water hammer occurs. Mechanical is possible.
The brain produces forced vibrations that trigger repeated damage. In addition, the injury is observed due to rotational axial displacement due to impacts on the protrusions of the skull. The stronger, more unpredictable was the aggressive influence, the more significant the brain damage.
Consequences: heavy and not very
TBI can cause numerous complications, consequences. The most common syndrome, the so-called “after a concussion”. This leads to severe headaches after days and months, sometimes years after injury. Sometimes the soreness is frankly excruciating, patients complain of a split head. At the same time, disturbing thoughts come, and the person himself is inclined to get annoyed over trifles. It becomes a problem for him to concentrate attention, to fall asleep and wake up, to function in society, in the workplace.
When observing such complications, you need to consult a doctor to choose a therapeutic course that can alleviate the condition. As a rule, a medication program, a strict regime of work and rest are prescribed. Patients are contraindicated in bright light, which significantly increases pain. Analgesics, sedatives and sleeping pills will come to the rescue. In old age, an additional program is prescribed for the prevention and elimination of multiple sclerosis.
Head injury: how to help?
The most important treatment for concussion symptoms is first aid. If a person keeps consciousness or loses it for a very short time, you need to lay the victim horizontally, slightly raising his head. If the patient has lost the creation for a long time, he is turned on his right side and throws back his head, turning his face to the surface on which he lies. Next, they bend the leg at 90 degrees, the arm on the left side. This pose will allow air to easily enter the lungs, which means that the risk of hypoxia is minimized.
After injury, you need to see a doctor. At first, the symptoms of all cases are similar, it is difficult to assess the severity of the damage, and it is important to take an x-ray in time to clarify the diagnosis. For the next 48 hours recommended bed rest, absolute rest. You can’t watch television, read. Music forbidden. Drugs prescribed by a doctor will help calm down, establish a dream, get rid of whirling and pain in the head.
Therapy Features
In most cases, the condition returns to normal within the first week after receiving the damage or in twice as long. On average, every third case is accompanied by complications of different severity options. The danger of such development is higher if the condition is transferred on the legs. Post-traumatic neurosis is possible. TBI can cause epilepsy. A certain percentage of victims need urgent surgery.
In old age, the probability of neurological symptoms and complications that worsen the functioning of the vascular cerebral system is high. Against the background of an injury, pressure may rise, the risk of a stroke increases, and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases.
If a cerebral concussion is postponed, a person is put on observation for the next year. A neurologist checks for the consequences of an injury, how the quality of life is changing. If necessary, the doctor recommends a treatment course.
Pharmacy products: what will help?
If necessary, correction of the condition after an injury, cerebral concussion may appoint "Phenobarbital." The drug belongs to the class of sedatives, improves falling asleep and sleep. The famous Finlepsin medication has a similar effect.
People who have suffered trauma are shown means of preventing convulsions, inhibiting reticular formations. The most affordable medicines of this group are hawthorn, motherwort tinctures. Sometimes the doctor advises you to stay on the Nozepam or Phenazepam tablets. The drug "Phenibut" has a good reputation, having a pronounced sedative effect.
To minimize tissue swelling and expand vascular passages, people who have suffered a shock should take Sermion or Eufillin. The doctor selects the specific drug based on the severity of the condition, indications and contraindications, individual characteristics of the body. Sometimes the doctor advises stopping at Trental or Cavinton. The Memoplant medicine has a good reputation.
What else to use?
After receiving a brain injury, agents that reduce the activity of formation of free radicals in organic tissues help stabilize the condition. Among pharmaceutical preparations, the popular “Glycine” has this effect. Similar qualities are known for the medicinal formulations Mexidone and Mexiprim.
Stabilization of the state is possible by setting a dropper. A solution of electrolytes is injected into a vein. This is especially true in severe cases of cerebral concussion. The program is designed to normalize the concentration of potassium ions in the brain cells.
If the injury caused asthenia, if the patient is dizzy, the doctor can recommend B vitamins. Westinorm and Betaserks show a good effect.
Special case: children affected
Not always parents in time can find out that the child hit his head. Signs of concussion include increased activity. The frequency of brain injury in children is significantly higher than in adults, due to curiosity, poor coordination. Very rarely, a child can adequately assess the level of danger of a situation. The younger the child, the worse his head protection reflexes are, which means that falling with a greater degree of danger can provoke a head injury.
Signs of a concussion in a baby, young child are different from the manifestations of brain injury in an adult. The younger the child, the less pronounced the symptoms. Victims rarely lose consciousness. Suspected of injury can be due to concern and the child's tendency to cry. The baby spits up, he often vomits, his skin turns pale, his appetite becomes worse. If the baby is injured, the fontanel may swell. Some babies cannot sleep, others are constantly drawn to sleep. But at school age those who are injured lose consciousness more often than infants. At this age, there is already a risk of minor amnesia. The child complains of a sore head, sweats profusely, apathetic or irritable, capricious, inclined to cry. Pressure test shows instability.