Concussion: symptoms, causes, general principle of therapy, prescribed drugs and doctor's recommendations

Symptoms of concussion are noted in 70-90% of all cases of neurotrauma. This condition is accompanied by problems of a neurological nature. This injury may have immediate or long-term effects. Over time, the functionality of the organ is fully restored, no matter how severe the concussion. The main problem is the correct diagnosis of pathology.

general description

Before you consider what are the symptoms of a concussion, you need to get general information about the injury. It represents a sharp, short-term violation of mental function and cognitive processes as a result of a blow to the head or a fall. The habitual position of the brain is changing. He hits the bones of the skull. And all its mass is damaged. This condition is considered the least dangerous among all types of head injuries.

The diagnosis is made if the patient does not have additional organ damage characterized by hemorrhage, hematoma, edema. If trauma occurs repeatedly, then a person develops a persistent disruption of the brain. Sometimes manifestations are present for several weeks or months. This post-commotion syndrome is still poorly understood by specialists.

Most often, they fix the symptoms of concussion in adolescents and children aged 5 to 14 years. They are most prone to falling from a height, bicycle. Many of them are engaged in contact sports: boxing, martial arts, wrestling.

Causes of occurrence

Symptoms of concussion can occur due to the influence of such factors:

• Accident.
• A sharp drop in atmospheric pressure.
• Mechanical injury at work or at home.
• Falls on the street in winter.
• A fight.
• Getting hit during a sports training.

Whatever the cause of the injury, even with a slight head hit, you need to be examined to exclude the onset of complications. In order for symptoms to appear after a concussion in adults or children, a direct stroke is optional.

Symptoms of pathology

With a mild concussion, the symptoms disappear within a few days. But in severe form, they can bother longer. Depending on how much time has passed since the injury, the symptoms will vary. Information about them is placed in a table for ease of perception.

Symptoms of concussion in adults (as well as in children) appear due to disorganization of the interaction between the subcortical structures and the cortex, circulatory disorders and transmission of nerve impulses. The victim must be immediately shown to a traumatologist, neurosurgeon and neuropathologist. Symptoms may be solitary or appear in combination.

You can also highlight the age-related features of symptoms:

1. After receiving an injury, newborns do not lose consciousness. They regurgitate more often after feeding, vomiting appears. The baby becomes pale and lethargic. These are the main symptoms of a concussion.
2. In preschool children, manifestations of mild trauma disappear after a maximum of 3 days.
3. For people under 35 years of age, loss of consciousness is characteristic. Other symptoms are usually of moderate intensity.
4. An elderly person is characterized by symptoms of severe concussion. The regenerative capacity of an organ worsens over time. Such an injury can be accompanied by hemorrhage, after which it is very difficult to return to normal life.

On average, the symptoms characteristic of concussion disappear within 2 weeks, but sometimes this period can increase.

The severity of the pathology

The intensity of the symptoms of concussion in both adults and children depends on the severity of the injury:

1. Easy. Here, a bruise of the nervous tissue may not appear at all. The patient has a slight pain in the head and a violation of spatial perception. Unpleasant sensations appear within 2-3 days, after which they pass.
2. Medium. Nausea, frequent vomiting, join the headache. Fainting may occur. In complex cases, the patient develops convulsions, he loses the ability to move independently.
3. Heavy. With such an injury, the risk of complications increases. In the absence of timely assistance, a person dies. Symptoms characteristic of severe concussion are: different pupil sizes, severe seizures.

With the last form of pathology, a long rehabilitation is needed, but it does not guarantee a complete restoration of the functions of the organ.

Diagnosis of injury

Even with mild symptoms of concussion, the patient needs a thorough examination. It provides:

• Roentgenography. It will not provide data on the state of the brain, but will allow you to evaluate the integrity of the bones of the skull. The study is considered auxiliary.
• Neurosonography It is used to study the state of the brain in children under 2 years old. For diagnosis, ultrasonic technology is used. It allows you to learn about the functionality of the ventricles of the brain and its substance. As a result, you can also see the presence of edema, hematoma, hemorrhage. The technique is not used to assess the condition of adults, as they have too thick bones of the skull.
• Echo EG. Such a study is also prescribed infrequently, since there are more effective methods.
• CT An X-ray, with which you can examine the condition of not only the bones, but also the substances of the brain, to identify the areas most affected by the injury.
• MRI Informative diagnostics used as a last resort to determine the general condition of the victim.
• EEG. It is necessary to assess the bioelectric activity of the brain. Thanks to her, you can find parts of the body that speak of epileptic activity.
• Lumbar puncture. It gives information about the presence of an inflammatory process in the brain. It is done to determine the general picture of a person’s state.

Sometimes the patient is measured intracranial pressure. Only after diagnosis can a therapeutic course be started. Moreover, the examination should be done in the presence of the first symptoms of concussion.

First aid to the injured

Symptoms after a concussion appear immediately. In severe cases, the patient cannot help himself, so all responsibility rests with others. Sometimes the life of the victim depends on the correctness of their actions. A person needs to provide such help:

1. Carefully lay it on a flat surface. In this case, a roller or a rigid small pillow is placed under the head. If the patient is unconscious, then he can not be turned over or moved.
2. Protect it from loud sounds and bright light. It is important to ask how a person feels. Moreover, all information must be recorded for transmission to doctors.
3. Monitor blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate. If necessary, even before the ambulance arrives, the resuscitator is undergoing resuscitation. If he is unconscious, then it is important to try to bring him to his senses with the help of ammonia.
4. Speak constantly with a person so that he does not fall asleep.
5. If there is vomit in the mouth, they must be eliminated.

There are things that cannot be done. For example, it is forbidden to give a person water or food, drugs (they can smear the clinical picture and aggravate the condition of the victim). Do not apply lotions or compresses to the injured area. It is important to reassure the patient, so do not fuss, make noise and panic.

Traditional treatment

If there are symptoms of a concussion after a head bump, a person will be hospitalized. In a hospital, he is prescribed such drugs:

1. Diuretics: Furosemide. They help to reduce edema, which can form after an impact, since nerve tissue is affected. It is better to use osmotic diuretic drugs: "Torasemide." However, they are contraindicated if the excretory system does not work well.
2. Analgesics. In this case, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will be required: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol. They not only relieve pain, but also stabilize body temperature.
3. Broad-spectrum antibiotics. They are necessary if the victim received an open injury and there is a risk of bacterial infection of the tissues.
4. Soothing: valerian or motherwort with a mild form of pathology, Relanium - with a severe one. These drugs will additionally help eliminate muscle tremors. They are necessary for panic attacks, fear, increased nervous excitability and anxiety.
5. Antiemetic: Cerucal.
6. Nootropic drugs: "Piracetam". Preparations of this group contribute to the restoration of nerve tissue, the resumption of normal organ function.
7. Vasotropes: Cavinton. The medicine improves microcirculation, blood circulation and nutrition of brain tissue.
8. Anticonvulsants (with severe convulsions).

To quickly pass the recovery period, the patient will need multivitamin preparations.

After completing the main treatment course, the patient is often prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures, exercise therapy complex, massage. After injury, it takes time to fully restore the functionality of the brain. For several months, he should work in a gentle manner, rest more. From everyday life, it is better to avoid stress, emotional outbursts, unrest. Intense physical activity is prohibited.

In adults, bed rest after injury lasts 2-3 weeks, in children - up to a month. In difficult cases, when the brain is strongly compressed, there is a fracture of the skull bones with penetration into the soft tissues, extensive swelling of the organ or hematoma requires surgery. It will help eliminate changes in the cerebrospinal fluid, cortex, or subcortical structures that are life threatening.

Folk therapy

So, what are the symptoms of a concussion are already clear. It is possible to treat such a pathology with the help of folk remedies, but all recipes must be agreed with the doctor. Such tools will be useful:

1. Harvesting herbs: mix 100 g of mint, mistletoe and motherwort with 75 g of lemon balm and pour 0.5 l of boiling water. For insisting, it takes 6-8 hours, so it is better to prepare the product for the night. It should be consumed in 50-100 ml up to 4 times a day.
2. Herb picking: Mix 20 g of pre-shredded valerian grass with lemon balm, mint, hop cones (10 g of each plant). Requires 2 tbsp. l the composition pour 300 ml of boiling water and let the liquid infuse for 15 minutes. Further, the solution is filtered, cooled and consumed before going to bed. You need to drink all the received volume of fluid at a time.
3. Thyme is black. Need 1 tbsp. l dry herbs pour 2 cups boiling water and bring to a boil over low heat. You need to take the liquid 3 times a day for half a glass before meals. The therapeutic course lasts 3 months.
4. Ginkgo biloba powder. It should be taken twice a day for 1 tsp. The course of therapy lasts for six months. The tool is allowed to drink water or add to food.
5. Cinnamon and Mint. Requires 1 tbsp. l plants and 1 tsp spice. The mixture is poured with 1 liter of boiling water and infused in a thermos. Doing this is better in a thermos. You need to drink the medicine 100 ml 4-6 times a day. This tool quickly relieves a headache.

The patient is forbidden to give any alcohol-based tinctures. During preparation and use, the dosage and instructions must be strictly observed.

Consequences of injury

In general, concussion is a pathological condition, after which the functionality of the organ is fully restored. But here you need to take into account the severity of the injury, as well as the timeliness of assistance. Moreover, complications can be instant or appear after a few months (years). Usually, after a concussion, the following effects are noted:

• Systematic prolonged headaches that can only be eliminated with the help of tablets.
• Sleep problems: insomnia, nightmares.
• Dizziness (especially after physical exertion).
• Hypersensitivity to weather changes.
• Poor tolerance of high and low temperatures.
• Deterioration of logical thinking.
• The emergence of a tendency to frequent viral and infectious diseases.
• Mood swings.
• Impaired coordination of movements due to problems with reflex functions.
• Difficulties with the assimilation of information in children and adults.
• Intolerance to alcohol, cigarette smoke.
• Change of character traits, behavior.
• Fatigue, decreased performance.
• Problems with the senses: taste changes, hearing loss and smell.
• Anorexia, including anorexia or bulimia.
• Epilepsy, periodic spasms of muscle tissue.
• Cramps.
• Decrease in cognitive functions: memory, attention.

With frequent concussions, a person may develop dementia - persistent dementia. In this case, a person often loses the ability to serve himself and becomes disabled. The consequences after an injury can last a lifetime.

Recovery and Prevention

The period of rehabilitation after an injury depends on its severity, the age of the victim, the correctness of treatment. Basically, its duration is 3-12 months. After discharge, the patient must follow the recommendations of specialists:

• Perform light gymnastics in the morning, avoid lifting weights.
• Do not be stressed, do not get into situations that cause strong emotions, nervous strain.
• Stick to a diet. The menu should include only those dishes that are easily digestible. A sufficient amount of nutrients must also enter the body so that brain cells recover faster.
• Minimize exposure to external stimuli.
• Observe sleep and rest.
• Gradually adapt the body to ordinary life.
• It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol.
• Do not abuse sedatives.
• During the recovery period, you should not sit at the computer or in front of the TV, as a quick change of frames slows down the recovery process. Prohibited video games.

Within 1 year after receiving an injury, the patient will have to periodically visit a neurologist to monitor the condition and prevent the development of complications. After a concussion, a person should stay on sick leave from 2 weeks to 4 months (depending on the severity of the condition).

Elderly patients, people with bleeding disorders after brain surgery are more prone to the consequences after injury.

In order to prevent injury, it is important to observe the following prevention rules:

• Use protective equipment during sports training.
• Do not litter the stairs in the house.
• Fasten your seat belt while driving in a car.
• Use personal protective equipment when performing repair work.
• Riding a bicycle in a helmet.

Concussion is a difficult pathology after which the organ is quickly restored. But she is able to give complex complications that can remain for life. Therefore, after receiving even a slight head injury, you should consult a doctor.