5 Concussion Symptoms and the Way They Impact Your Life

In 2021, most people have heard of concussions, even if they are not medical professionals. They know about them from medical dramas on TV, or perhaps they hear football announcers talk about them. Not everyone understands how deadly concussions can be, though, or all of the things they can do to a person.

Car accidents can cause upper body injuries, which may result in a concussion. Fights and physical altercations can lead to this problem when individuals are punched or struck in the head. But this isn’t the case all the time.

According to CognitiveFX, a concussion is the same as a mild traumatic brain injury. A person can get it even if you don’t experience a blow to the head. For instance, military personnel and individuals near explosions can suffer concussions due to the shockwave generated by the blast.

Rapid changes in motion on amusement park rides can sometimes cause concussions. Also, electric shock incidents can result in a sudden head jerking motion, causing the same health consequence.

Infants and young children are also at risk when they are violently shaken. In rare cases, brain surgery or biopsies due to the manipulation of brain tissue can lead to this problem. The same applies to objects that penetrate the skull, although these are more severe.

Medical management varies depending on the cause. Rest and gradual resumption of activities are crucial. In reasonable quantities, cognitive exercise and physical exertion can help shorten recovery time. But how do you know if you have a concussion?

We’ll talk a bit about some common concussion symptoms in this article. We’ll also go over how they can impact the afflicted individual.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury variety. About 1.5 million individuals in the US suffer a TBI every year. They can happen during athletic contests, though car crashes account for many of them as well.

You might also suffer a TBI while walking down the street or doing something equally innocuous. You might fall and hit your head while in a store or parking lot. If you do, you may be able to bring a premises liability lawsuit if you can prove negligence.

All concussions are TBIs, but not all TBIs are concussions. Now, let’s go over five of the specific symptoms that go along with concussions and how they can impact your life.

Headaches

Most people have experienced a headache. Some get migraines and they know how debilitating those can be. Sometimes, you can experience migraines if others in your family get them, demonstrating the hereditary connection.

If you sustain a concussion, you might have a headache directly afterward or in the days and weeks to come. Usually, concussion symptoms, including headaches, dissipate within 1-3 weeks.

While you’re waiting for relief, though, it can be very uncomfortable for you. You can’t concentrate on work when your head hurts too dramatically, and you can barely have a conversation with someone.

You might have to take some time off from work or school. If you feel one of these headaches coming on, you may have to go lie down in a dark room and put a cool washcloth on your head. You might use over-the-counter pain meds to help as well.

Ringing in the Ears

You might also experience ringing in the ears, which doctors call tinnitus. Like headaches, you should feel better within 1-3 weeks, depending on how severe the concussion was.

It’s tough to focus on work or school when you have tinnitus. Driving is also challenging since you can’t hear the traffic around you.

You’ll likely need to rest and take some time for yourself. If you tell your boss at work or your teachers at school what is happening, they will hopefully understand and not penalize you.

Sleep Disturbances

Sometimes, you won’t sleep so well after sustaining a concussion. Insomnia is common, but yours might come with additional ringing in the ears.

If you can’t sleep and get a decent night’s rest, that makes every small task unduly challenging. If you’re exhausted, you can’t focus, and you could easily make a mistake at work or school.

You might take some over-the-counter sleep meds or talk to a doctor and get some prescribed. Hopefully, you will start sleeping better before too long.

Memory Loss

Some concussed individuals do experience memory loss. If it happens, it’s likely to be of the short-term variety. You can still remember events from your early life, but you may not recall a conversation you just had with your coworker or spouse.

As you might expect, this is an irritating phenomenon. The people around you might accuse you of not paying attention to them. You’d hope that they will be more understanding once you explain what is going on with you.

Blurred Vision

Concussed individuals sometimes deal with blurred vision as well. If this happens, you probably can’t work, do your schoolwork, or drive. Virtually everything is challenging if you’re used to seeing normally, and now suddenly you can’t.

All you can really do about it is rest. If the concussion was not severe, it should dissipate over the next few days or weeks.

You might also deal with other symptoms, such as light or noise sensitivity, nausea, drowsiness, or a feeling as though you’re in a constant fog. The timetable till you feel better should not be too bad, provided that this is your first concussion.

If you’ve had multiple concussions, you might have chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE can cause worse problems, like mood swings, personality changes, and even severe depression. You’ll need to talk to a doctor in those instances to get some professional advice.