A severe headache is the most prominent symptom when you have a concussion. You are likely to get a concussion when you get involved in a whiplash-type injury that forces your head to shake violently. Though the condition is not fatal, it could lead to adverse side effects when you fail to get professional help. Falls Church concussion neurologists at Integrated Neurology Services diagnose and treat various neurological conditions that could be traumatic and lead to brain injury.
What Are the Symptoms You Will Have When You Have Concussions?
Your doctor may find it challenging to diagnose a concussion. Though you may have a visible cut on your head, he may not suspect a concussion. You will take longer to have concussion symptoms. Signs might start showing several weeks after the injury. However, when the symptoms appear, they could be mental, physical, and emotional.
Concussion symptoms include:
· Nausea
· Vomiting
· Drowsiness and fatigue
· Blurry vision
· Ringing in your ears
· Headache
· Noise and light sensitivity
· Difficulty concentrating
· Memory loss
· Irritability
· Depression
· Sleep problems
· Forgetfulness and confusion
How Will Your Doctor Diagnose a Concussion?
During diagnosis, your doctor will assess your physical symptoms and medical history. He could also request several other tests like a neurological exam, imaging, and cognitive tests to further his evaluation.
What Are the Treatment Options Your Doctor Will Recommend to Treat Concussions?
After your doctor’s thorough evaluation, he will design a treatment plan depending on your symptom’s severity. The first recommendation your doctor will suggest is rest. Suppose you sustained your injury during athletics, your doctor will advise you to take a break so that your brain may take time to heal.
A neurological exam will check your vision, hearing, balance, reflexes, and strength, while a cognitive test will evaluate your concentration, memory, and ability to recall specific information details. The expert will request brain imaging tests like CT scans or MRIs when your symptoms worsen with time. The imaging will tell if you have a severe concussion that could be causing bleeding or swelling in your skull.
The specialist will also advise you to guard yourself against a repeated concussion. Successive concussions could have adverse effects on your brain and result in permanent brain damage, brain swelling, and even death. Therefore, your doctor will suggest you refrain from going back to your routine activities when you still have concussion symptoms. As you gradually recover, your doctor will ask you to add routine activities that require more thinking.
When it is convenient for you to resume your everyday life, the professional will request you to take up light physical activities before your symptoms fade completely. Once your symptoms are gone, the caregiver will discuss with you the steps you should actively take to participate in sports again. Your doctor could also give you prescription medication to alleviate your symptoms as you recover. Headaches are significant symptoms after a concussion. Therefore, you might need to use pain relievers to ease the pain.
You will never know how severe a concussion is until a professional assesses your condition. Therefore, it is crucial to contact your doctor for professional help when you experience severe symptoms after a brain injury.