In this article, we will consider the treatment of the effects of concussion. What is this pathology? Concussion is a sharp violation of its functions, which occurs, as a rule, immediately after various head injuries and is not associated with damage to blood vessels. This phenomenon is observed at least once in a lifetime in about 70 out of 100 people.
What contributes to this?
Various concussions, bruises and diffuse movements can lead to concussion.
In this case, not long-term loss of consciousness can occur (for several seconds or minutes, and can occur without it), as well as nausea, single vomiting, retrograde amnesia, when the patient finds it difficult to recall events that could precede this injury. This symptomatology is typical of concussion.
The degree of this pathology is determined in accordance with the duration of loss of consciousness and the duration of memory impairment.
The effects of a concussion can be very serious.
Degrees of concussion and their manifestations
In clinical medicine, there are three main degrees of severity of concussion, which are characterized by specific signs and consequences.
At the first degree, confusion is observed without loss of memory and fainting. The second is characterized by confusion, which is usually accompanied by amnesia, but fainting is also not observed. In the third degree, the patient has all of the above signs of concussion, which are accompanied by loss of consciousness.
After consciousness returns, the injured person usually complains of headaches, nausea, tinnitus, dizziness, general weakness, a rush of blood to the face, and sweating. These are early consequences after a concussion.
In addition, concussion can be accompanied by some autonomic disorders in the form of pain during eye movements, increased vestibular excitability. From the point of view of neurology, insignificant shell symptoms, inconsistency of mild asymmetry of skin reflexes, as well as tendons that disappear, as a rule, after the first few days, can be observed. The effects of concussion can be avoided if timely medical attention is provided.
Concussion care
At the first degree of this pathology, it is necessary to examine the patient, which should be repeated every 5 minutes under stress, as well as in a calm state, in order to identify signs of the development of memory loss and symptoms of the post-traumatic state of the brain. If within 30 minutes such signs are not observed, the patient is usually released home, subject to bed rest for at least 3 days.
In the second degree
In the second degree of concussion, an examination of the injured is regularly conducted to identify developing intracranial pathology. The examination also needs to be carried out the day after the injury. The patient is recommended bed rest for 7 days in the absence of clinical symptoms.
The third degree of ailment
With the third degree of the pathological condition of the patient, it is urgent to be taken to the hospital, where his condition is diagnosed. If indicated, the upper spine should be immobilized in the neck.
The consequences after a concussion are discussed below.
Treatment of a pathological condition
Bed rest after a concussion is observed, as a rule, for at least two weeks, provided that no symptoms appear during this period.
In addition, patients are not recommended to listen to music, write, read, watch TV, play on a computer or work. The patient must comply with all medical recommendations, take painkillers and sedatives, as well as drugs that contribute to the normalization of brain activity. The condition of the patient with a concussion in this case normalizes in about one, and less often in two weeks.
What is recommended to do?
After recovery, the patient is recommended to definitely do an electroencephalography and consult a neurologist to avoid some serious complications. If his health does not improve, then in this case we can talk about damage to the joints and ligaments connecting the cervical spine and the skull, and about a possible increase in intracranial pressure.
In order to determine the cause of this condition, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is prescribed, as well as x-rays of the cervical vertebrae. In this case, it is necessary to make some correction of the treatment of this pathology. For example, special gymnastics is added to medicines. A week after this usually comes a significant improvement in the patient's well-being.
The effects of concussion
The consequences of this pathological condition can be very significant and varied, up to post-traumatic personality changes. Very often, patients develop hypersensitivity to infections or alcohol, as a result of which various mental disorders like strong nervous excitement can occur.
Often patients complain of constant pain in the head, which intensifies, as a rule, after sudden movements, as well as physical exertion. In addition, dizziness due to bending, sharp flushing of the head, after which the patient suddenly sweats or turns pale, are observed (such symptoms sometimes extend to only one half of the head or face). In addition, a person can not concentrate on everyday affairs and quickly gets tired.
In some cases, there are psycho-emotional differences, as a result of which a person becomes very irritable, highly excitable. It is also possible the appearance of unexpected uncontrolled attacks of rage and aggression, convulsive attacks similar to epileptic seizures.
What other effects of a concussion are possible? It is possible that neuroses occur, which are manifested, as a rule, in increased anxiety, inability to concentrate, fear, headache, sleep disturbances, etc. Psychoses occur less often, which can be accompanied by delirium, impaired perception, hallucinations. Sometimes there is a violation of memory and thinking, there is some disorientation and apathy, which are considered the main signs of dementia (dementia).
What are the consequences of a concussion is interesting to many. The most rare complication of a concussion is the so-called “post-commotion” syndrome, in which severe headaches, anxiety, dizziness, sleep disturbances, irritability, and the inability to coordinate thinking in performing normal work begin to disturb a certain time after the onset of a patient’s injury. Psychotherapy in such cases is an ineffective method of dealing with such conditions. And taking painkillers, especially a drug series, can lead to drug dependence.
What consequences after a concussion most often occur can be clarified by a doctor.
Boxer Encephalopathy
In cases where the concussion is repeated, experts talk about a phenomenon called boxer encephalopathy. The following consequences of this brain pathology associated with lower limb dysfunctions are noted:
- Temporary sticking or lagging of one leg.
- Slight imbalance or staggering.
- Inhibition of movement and lack of coordination.
In certain cases, the human psyche may be disturbed, as a result of which speech is inhibited, possibly trembling hands and head.
Concussion in children and the consequences will be considered later, but for now, let's talk about pathology in adults.
Complications and consequences of pathology in adults
The effects of the concussion are very diverse. Much of this depends on the strength of the blow when injured, as well as on whether the head was fixed, was in a relaxed state or in motion.
In severe forms of concussion, various biochemical or biophysical processes of changes in neurons occur, which are usually irreversible. Metabolism is disturbed in the brain cells, vascular spasm occurs. Injuries also lead to a change in cerebrospinal fluid composition.
The effects of the concussion irreversibly affect the nerve channels, which are responsible for visual function. The degree of concussion is determined by the pupils - if they do not sufficiently respond to external stimuli, then the concussion is not strong, but if they do not react at all, it is severe. If the reaction appears in one pupil, then one hemisphere of the brain is affected.
Pain during eye movements can occur after injury and during the rehabilitation period. The patient develops hearing problems, tinnitus is observed. A person experiences severe drowsiness or, conversely, he is very hyperactive.
If the consequences of a traumatic dysfunction of the brain do not go away for a long time, then we are talking about a serious brain disorder. It may be swelling, bruising, or bruising.
What are the effects of a concussion after a few years? They may be as follows:
- A person often suffers from headaches (cephalalgia), is in a bad mood, his emotional background changes.
- Some patients become quick-tempered and aggressive, while others lose interest in the world around them.
- Sleep disturbance develops, phobias, photophobia, panic attacks appear.
- A person feels sensitivity to weather extremes.
- In severe cases, claustrophobia and paranoia may develop.
- Immunity weakens, the body acquires an increased sensitivity to infections.
- The development of post-traumatic episindrome.
- People who have suffered brain injury may experience intolerance to alcohol and the smell of tobacco smoke.
- There is a deterioration in memory and alertness.
Neurosis
Neurological disorders can be included in a separate group of consequences of concussion. They are caused, as a rule, by deviations in the work of neurons. Even a slight concussion can disrupt the activity of the nervous system and this is manifested in the following:
- The emergence of unreasonable fear, feelings of anxiety.
- Inability to concentrate, do work or study.
- Insomnia and migraine.
- In cases of progressive pathological conditions and the absence of treatment in a person, acute psychosis begins.
- In old age, there is a huge risk of developing senile dementia, as well as Alzheimer's disease as a consequence of a concussion in a year.
Post-traumatic episindrome
Even insignificant external influences can cause the development of epileptic seizures. With a concussion, hidden foci are activated, and the initial epileptic seizures pass, as a rule, with mild symptoms. A serious seizure may occur later. The patient quickly overwork, especially mental stress. He becomes very weather-dependent, he is tormented by the symptoms of cephalgia.
Post-traumatic encephalopathy is a serious pathology of a chronic nature. Complications of a concussion of this kind are often observed in boxers. The disease manifests itself with a change in gait, lethargy of speech, mental abnormalities, vascular tone pathologies, cephalgia.
The effects of several concussions of the brain are especially dangerous.
Children
The severity of the pathological process directly affects the recovery period after concussion. If you do not take certain treatment measures, children will face very unpleasant consequences. A slight degree of trauma, as a rule, in the future can turn into headaches, which are most often associated with weather changes. The most serious concussions can cause severe disturbances in brain activity, up to and including epilepsy.
Nevertheless, in most cases, the prognosis after a concussion in a child is favorable, but there are a number of nuances. A few days after the start of treatment, the first signs of favorable dynamics appear.
Often during this period the symptoms go away completely. Against this background, parents often refuse to continue to use medications, being sure that their child’s health has returned to normal. However, such neglect of treatment can lead to negative results.
The consequences of severe concussion in childhood are:
- Systematic headache and dizziness.
- Weather dependent.
- Insomnia.
- The manifestation of seizures and epileptic seizures.
- The development of aggression, irritability, tearfulness, moodiness.
- The emergence of difficulties with adaptation in society.
- Fatigue on the background of mental or physical activity.
- Decreased intelligence.
- Inhibition in the psyche, mental abnormalities.