How do you know if you have a concussion? A heavy blow to the head can cause severe injuries like cuts, bruises, and swelling, but the most damaging effects often occur at the brain level.
Concussions can have lasting effects that impact your daily life, and these can continue for an extended period if not addressed. Many people don’t realize that they are suffering a concussion because they don’t understand the different symptoms that range far beyond headaches and localized pain.
In this article, we will share tips on how to know if you have a concussion and what to do to speed up your recovery.
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How Do You Know If You’re Concussed?
Suffering a concussion means that you’ve experienced a severe blow to the head. The most important thing at this point is ensuring your immediate safety, as this will help accelerate your recovery later on.
So, your first course of action should be to seek medical attention right away. If you have been involved in a car accident or similar collision, it’s always a good idea to take pictures to document the accident site, collect the contact information of potential eyewitnesses, and contact your attorney. You can do this while you wait for medical attention to arrive, but only if you’re able to move comfortably.
Now, what are the common signs of a concussion? Here’s a brief list.
Light Sensitivity
If you’re wondering how to rest if you have a concussion, light sensitivity is usually a tell-tale sign. This can manifest itself as sensitivity to screens as well as bright environments. Sources of intense light, like white fluorescent lamps, can make this worse and lead to mild to moderate eye pain.
Driving while experiencing light sensitivity can put you and others at risk, so avoid getting behind the wheel and request help from a friend, family member, or assistance line.
Blurred Vision
Light sensitivity can result in eye strain, which can lead to blurred vision even in environments with moderate lighting. Blurred eyesight can also affect depth perception, so even simple tasks like walking can be challenging and disorienting in this situation.
It’s also common to experience double vision, also known as diplopia. This may indicate damage to the nerve, so it’s important to get medical assistance.
Trouble Focusing
Not only is it common to see overlapping images when concussed, but it can also be difficult to focus on a conversation, discussion, or train of thought.
This is also described commonly as brain fog, so you may also experience a decline in academic or professional performance. It’s also common to go through extreme fatigue, as the lack of concentration can complicate simple everyday tasks.
Confusion
Confusion is a common sign of a concussion, especially in the immediate aftermath of the trauma. It’s important to tell your doctor if you have been unaware of the time, place, or situation at any point after suffering the blow to the head.
Ongoing symptoms of confusion can include the inability to follow instructions, indecisiveness, and repeating the same questions over and over.
Loss of Consciousness
Completely blacking out, whether it’s for a few seconds or a prolonged period, is often a sign that you have a concussion. Becoming unconscious is usually a sign that the brain has shifted inside of the skull, which can produce tearing, chemical imbalances, and swelling across surrounding tissues, among other damages.
Your response after waking up can also say a lot about the state of your brain. If you are sluggish or confused, it may be a sign that you have experienced extensive brain damage.
Dilated Pupils
Pupil dilation is usually a sign of a TBI like a concussion or a more severe issue. It’s particularly important to look out for unequal pupil sizes, delayed reaction to light, and persistent dilation, as all of these may signal damage beyond the scope of a concussion.
In these cases, it’s essential to get medical assistance right away.
Nausea or Vomiting
If you experience nausea or vomiting minutes to hours after suffering a blow to the head, this may be a sign of a concussion. This is often attributed to damage in the inner ear, which can cause the sensation of dizziness and nausea.
That said, there are also other reasons why a concussion may cause vomiting. For instance, brain swelling can cause intracranial pressure, which can cause both brain bleeds and vomiting.
Severe migraines, which are also a symptom of concussions, can also lead to extreme nausea and vomiting, especially in people with motion sensitivity.
Uncoordinated Eye Movement
If you’re watching a movie where a doctor uses a flashlight to test a patient’s eye response after a blow to the head, you’re seeing the dramatization of a concussion test.
Uncoordinated eye movement, which makes it difficult to track objects and react to light fluctuations quickly, is a sign of a concussion. This may also manifest as nystagmus, or fast and uncontrollable eye movements that indicate neural damage.
The Best Way to Determine If You Have a TBI
If you’re wondering, “How do I know if I have a concussion or TBI?” Your best bet is to seek medical attention and get checked out by a practitioner. Only medical professionals have the training and experience required to perform all the necessary examinations to determine whether or not you have a concussion.
If you have been involved in a car accident or similar event that has just occurred, you should contact emergency services immediately. Likewise, if the accident occurred some time ago and you’re still experiencing symptoms, you should book a consultation with a medical expert and contact an attorney right away.
What is a TBI?
Now that we’ve answered the question “What are signs of a concussion?” It’s time to define a traumatic brain injury or TBI.
In short, a TBI is any brain injury or condition that occurs as a result of a severe blow to the head.
How Long Do Concussions Last?
The recovery time of a concussion varies greatly from person to person. For some individuals, recovery takes days, while others may take weeks or months to bounce back.
It’s important to note that the road to recovery is full of hurdles you need to work through and overcome. You may also experience Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) if your symptoms last for more than 3 months, so it’s important to stay positive and motivated throughout your entire recovery process.
Making a Full Recovery
Here are a few tips that will help you bounce back as quickly as possible:
- Get plenty of rest and drink lots of water
- Limit screen time and avoid high-risk activities
- Adjust your diet to include brain-nourishing foods
Get the Compensation You Need to Focus on Bouncing Back
Concussions are painful, disorienting, and even scary. As with all brain injuries, there is a certain level of helplessness during your recovery process. Because of this, it’s important to have the resources you need to focus solely on your rehabilitation and ongoing treatment.
At Brain Injury Law of Seattle, we’ve specialized in helping TBI victims because these injuries can be devastating. They can impact all areas of your life and can easily be the result of a relatively small injury in the brain or surrounding organs.
If you are suffering concussion symptoms or having signs of concussion or have been diagnosed as concussed and this is due to the actions or negligence of another party, you may be entitled to compensation.
Contact Brain Injury Law of Seattle to discuss your case and get the compensation you need to focus on your recovery.
