How to Treat a Concussion?

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by an accident or a sudden blow to the head. It could also happen if your head gets violently shaken. So, it may not be from an accident but a sudden head movement that can cause a concussion. That is why you need to how to treat a concussion if this situation occurs at any time.

A concussion is not something that you let go of if you see the symptoms. It is a traumatic injury that happens in your brain to cause a concussion. You can have this issue not only from an accident but also while playing or doing any activity. That means it is not something that you can only face from an accident, but it could happen in your regular day while doing your daily routine activity.

It is what we are focusing on in this particular article. We tried to put forth a document that could help you treat your concussion if you see the symptoms during your daily activities.

Causes You Need to Know to treat a concussion 

You can see signs of concussion at any time of your day. It could happen if it suddenly hits you in the head or you bump into something hard. That is why knowing how to treat a concussion is so vital in your life. However, you also need to be careful not to trigger a concussion in your brain.

Our brain is susceptible, and it has soft tissues, spinal fluid, and a protective shell. The spinal fluid cushions the tissues, and everything else is under a protective shell. However, if you suddenly bump your head or get hit by something, it could jolt your brain; moreover, it could cause your brain to move around your head literally. This type of traumatic incident can cause bruising, swelling, damaged blood vessel, and injure your nerves, which are the symptoms of a concussion in your head.

Risk Factors to Consider

Every day we wake up, we are at a risk of something happening to us. However, it will not stop our daily activity, but we can be a little bit more conscious throughout our day. Moreover, some things could project the risk of a concussion if you are not careful. Such as –

• If you fall and hit your head, then it could cause a concussion. It is applicable mostly for children and older aged people. As they typically cannot handle or maintain their balance while walking or sleeping on the bed.
• Are you an athlete, and do you play contact sports? If you do, then it is ubiquitous that at some point, you have or will face a concussion in your carrier. Contact sports have a reputation of having the most number of injuries, especially concussions, among regular players.
• Accidents such as a car, bike, or any other accident can happen at any time. So, being conscious is what we can do in this case.
• With due respect to our soldiers, you can have a concussion if you are in the military. The armed forces are brutal, and they go through unimaginable situations where anyone can face such situation where they get hurt in the head very badly. It could cause a concussion in your head.
• A previous concussion can also trigger a concussion to your head later on in your life.

Concussion Symptoms

Although diagnosing a concussion is very tricky, and you cannot quickly identify whether you have it or not. However, some symptoms identify if you have a concussion or not; moreover, a scar, or a bruise on your head can indicate that you could be facing the issues of a concussion.

Symptoms that dictate that you have a concussion are –

• You will feel a headache with a tremendous amount of pain in your head.
• Nausea is another symptom, and you may also feel like vomiting.
• You will have a balancing problem.
• Your vision will start to blur as the pain rises.
• Your eyes could become sensitive to noise and light.
• The pain could trigger a ringing in your ears.
• Concentration difficulties.
• The memory will start to fade.
• Fatigue, and you might lose consciousness.
• Depression and you will start to lose the taste of food dramatically.

These are the things you need to check for a concussion after an accident, a blow to the head. Even if you notice swelling on the head.

How to Treat a Concussion

If you notice that you or someone you know show the symptoms of concussion, our first recommendation is to go to the hospital. However, you can also treat a concussion at home, depending on the severity. But a doctor should be your first thing to try. You could need surgery or medical treatment depending on –

• If you have bleeding in the brain cells.
• A severe sudden injury to your head.
• Your brain starts to swell.

In this case, the doctors will go for surgery at that very moment. But, there is no severe damage to the brain in most cases, and you do not have to through surgery. Doctors will advise you to do a CT scan or MRI to determine the above symptoms and act accordingly to that X-ray. However, most general practitioners will advise you for bed rest and have a headache than with some over-the-counter pain relievers.

Advil or Tylenol are some recommended over-the-counter pain relievers, which are very useful; moreover, you will have to take bed rest in a dark room, as when you have a concussion, your eyes become sensitive to noise and light. Another recommendation is not to drive or ride a vehicle as you can quickly lose consciousness and get in an accident. Moreover, please stay away from alcohol or any drugs as it will slow down your recovery drastically.

Treating Concussion at Home

Doctors will do what they can, whether if it is surgery or medications. However, your primary treatment is at your house because you will have to whatever is necessary to get well. The previous concussion does not trigger another one.

Rest is the main thing, but apart from that, you can do it from home so that your recovery goes well.

1. You can try cardio exercise every day for 30 minutes or less, depending on your tolerance. Try not to do exercises that will jolt your head. It will only result in more pain and issues.
2. Right after your cardio try to utilize that extra oxygen by reading a book or having an intellectual conversation. It will reinforce a healthy pathway for your brain. You can also try puzzle-solving and Sudoku.
3. Your ANS or autonomic nervous system that controls your body’s process can get damaged if you have a concussion. Irregular heartbeat is the cause of your ANS being damaged. You will have to calm those nerves so you can try yoga, prayer, or even soothing music.
4. Try to limit your eyes from any screens such as – TV screens, phone, and computer screens. Give yourself less time for all of these things, as if you just had a concussion, your eyes will be sensitive. Moreover, it can cause pain in your eyes and brain.
5. You can start going back to your typical day to day life gradually. For example – go back to work more frequently and go back to school but not every day to fully recover from a concussion.

Treating Concussion in Children

Children can face this issue as they can easily fall and get a nasty blow in their head. Although all we suggested above is also applicable for children, it is slightly difficult to make your child do all; however, if your children are at an age when they will understand your advice, then you can try all of the steps above.

But for a toddler, you need to extra careful and pay close attention to everything they do. Moreover, try to put them to sleep so that their body gets enough rest to recover. Another thing you can try is to make them solve puzzles. However, you will have to consider your family physician’s necessary suggestion for a better and realistic plan.

What to Avoid After a Concussion

It would be best if you avoided a few things while you try to heal from a concussion. We are not saying that you cut yourself from everything and everyone but try to restrain your activities as much as possible. It will allow your body and brain to recover quickly.

• Do not try to do more than you can handle. Try to limit your regular activity as much as you can. As if you push too much, it will take longer for you to recover; moreover, it will not help with the pain; instead, it will only increase it.
• Avoid engaging in activities that put you at risk, such as – football, basketball, weight training. All of these will only take time away from your brain to recover. Moreover, if you play contact sports, then your concussion will affect your play.
• Try to avoid looking on a screen for too long. Limit your eyes from the screen as much as possible so that you can recover.

FAQs for How to treat a concussion?

1. How do you treat a concussion at home?

You can treat a concussion at home, which we discussed above. However, here is a short brief –

• Rest as much as you can in a dark room.
• You can take cardio exercise.
• Limit your screen time as much as possible.
• Try reading, prayer, soothing music, puzzle.

2. Can I sleep after I hit my head?

You can go to sleep after a concussion only if you are awake and hold on to a conversation. Other than that, you should not have any issues sleeping. Any other symptoms of a concussion do play any part in your sleep after you hit your head.

3. What happens if a concussion goes untreated?

If you leave your concussion untreated, you could face long-term complications such as memory loss, chronic headaches, post-concussion syndrome, vertigo, dizziness, mood swings, and brain fog. Moreover, it can continue like this for months before you even realize your condition.

4. How long should you stay awake after a concussion?

There is no actual saying for how long you stay awake after a concussion. However, you will have to wake up every two hours after you get a concussion, you go to sleep. It shows that you can quickly wake up and do not project a worse case of concussion.

5. What is a concussion test?

A concussion test can determine and evaluate your brain’s processing strength and also cognitive or thinking function. It is essential to see how your brain is recovering, or do you have a concussion. A concussion test is generally performed on athletes before the start of a sports season.

Conclusion How to treat a concussion?

A concussion is a severe issue that you should not take it lightly if you show any symptoms. It disrupts your daily activity; moreover, you could have something more severe than you imagined. You need to know how to treat a concussion when the injury is not prominent or have not yet got big.

That’s our main focus on this article, to help you understand the necessity of treating your concussion seriously before you have a long term disorder and pain.