The human brain is reliably protected from external influences by several shells, a special fluid and a strong cranium. However, head injuries are far from uncommon. They can be both open when the soft tissues of the head, muscles and bones of the skull are damaged, or closed. There are several types of closed head injuries: concussion, bruising or squeezing. Concussion , the symptoms and manifestations of which are the least severe, can be obtained during falls, sports, accidents.
Symptoms of concussion may vary slightly depending on its degree. The main ones are: dizziness and headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness. In severe cases, convulsive seizures may occur. Often, after recovering from a loss of consciousness, the patient cannot remember previous events, cannot understand where he is and what is with him, does not recognize people he knows well (so-called retrograde amnesia). Another sign of concussion is severe fatigue, when patients quickly get tired of even the simplest movements. You may also experience increased drowsiness or, conversely, sleep disturbances - it becomes superficial.
In the first few days after the injury, an increase in temperature up to +37.5 degrees can be observed, as well as a violation of thermoregulation: the patient sweats heavily, he is thrown into the heat. A concussion, the symptoms of which are rather unpleasant, can also lead to visual impairment: it is difficult for the patient to read, since he cannot distinguish individual lines. Headache while trying to read is worse. In severe cases, there is a mental disorder called traumatic delirium: anxiety, hallucinations, experiences. In this case, it will take several months to fully recover. A mild concussion, as a rule, passes after 2-3 weeks, while the patient may be recommended to limit physical activity for up to 3 months.
If you suspect a concussion, the victim should be laid on his side, unfasten his clothes to ensure free breathing, loosen the belt of trousers. It is imperative to stay with him until the arrival of doctors, especially if there are disorders or loss of consciousness. It should be remembered: a craniocerebral trauma is often accompanied by damage to the cervical vertebrae; therefore, it is extremely undesirable for the patient to move or transfer from place to place.
The main thing - at the slightest suspicion of a concussion, even in the presence of mild symptoms, consult a doctor. Injury is very insidious, and the consequences can occur only after a few months. This applies to trauma of any degree: a concussion, the symptoms of which were slightly expressed, in the absence of adequate treatment can subsequently lead to more serious troubles than a serious but timely treated.
Separately, it should be said about a concussion in an infant. Unfortunately, this situation is far from uncommon. A concussion in a baby occurs most often due to its fall from a height - for example, from a stroller or crib, from a changing table. Since the kids cannot describe their condition, they should be closely monitored after such incidents. Signs of a 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 is observed after the fall of the infant, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. Concussion, the symptoms of which were not tracked on time, is fraught with serious problems in the future.