how do you know when you have a concussion?

[payback462 0]

so today i totally got my ass handed to me by my kite.
i got a gust of about 40 or so that picked me up about 6feet off the ground and about 15 feet foreward (was sitting in my butt) and ended up dropping me right on my head

when my head hit the ground it kinda went all white then the color started fading back in, but i was with it the entire time. pretty much the same thing that happened last time i smacked my head really hard
now i have this MASSSIVE headache
and im pretty sure i knocked some brains loose
ughhhh it hurts!!!!
although i gotta admit however embarrasing it was it was still kindof fun

[AggieDave 6]

If you have double double vision vision, then you might have a concussion.

Seriously, though, if you hit hard enough that you lost color or was knocked out and you now have a really bad headache, you probably have atleast a minor concussion.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[bch7773 0]

you may have a minor concussion, or you coulda just whacked your head. i don't know what constitutes the level 1 concussions. the minor concussions aren't a big deal, just take it easy for the rest of the day.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[Vertifly 0]

don't go to sleep, you could slip into a coma (sp?)

my doctor told me that once.

[KawiZX900 0]

ask Amirosa from the apprentice..

Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky

[tunaplanet 0]

You don't. It's impossible to tell with any degree of certainty. The only sure-fire way to know is go see a doctor.

Forty-two

[baa75 0]

You'd think I'd be an expert in these by now.

From www.neurosurgery.org

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is an injury to the brain, usually caused by a blow to the head that results in temporary loss of normal brain function. Most people assume that concussions involve a loss of consciousness. Not true. In most cases, the person with a concussion never loses consciousness.

The formal medical definition of concussion is: a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient alteration in brain function including alteration of mental status and level of consciousness, resulting from mechanical force or trauma. Concussion means a change in mental status. Those with concussions often cannot remember what happened immediately before or after the injury. They may slur their speech or exhibit confusion. Paramedics and football trainers who suspect a concussion ask injured people what year it is or direct them to count backward from ten in an attempt to detect altered brain function.

A concussion can affect memory, judgment, reflexes and muscle coordination. The speech and balance of the injured person may also be impaired.

Confusion is a particular hallmark of concussion. The three principal features of confusion are:

1. Inability to maintain a coherent stream of thought
2. A disturbance of vigilance with heightened distractibility
3. Inability to carry out a sequence of goal-directed movements

The specific symptoms of a concussion include: headache, vision disturbance, dizziness, loss of balance, confusion, memory loss, ringing ears, nausea and difficulty in concentrating. If any of these occur after a blow to the head, a healthcare professional should be consulted.

BettyAnn

Getting married? Check out my website!

[BoostedXT 0]

I have had 4 concussions in my life. Every time this is what happened..

Headache, vomiting, dizzy nature. Get someone to shine a flash light in your eyes, like a field sobriety test and follow the light side to side. The eyes should be smooth, if they are choppy, and skip following the light then you have some signs.

See a Dr. Sadly there isnt much to be done besides sit in bed and do nothing for a few days.

Joe

For long as you live and high you fly and smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry and all that you touch and all that you see is all your life will ever be.
Pedro Offers you his Protection.

[JUDYJ 0]

I agree with TUNA (why so rational??) .... if you have questions.. here isn't the place for 'those' answers. If you have hurt yourself before like this, there are more questions a MD would want to know! If your headache gets really bad - like a 10 level..where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst you have ever felt -- then you should get to the ER. Pain isn't always something you wait out and see what happens. Pain is the bodies way of telling you something isn't right! Why ignore it???

PM if you need to~~

IF you are going to be Stupid - you better be tough!

[d_squared431 0]

I work for a doctor at an urgent care in Lake Tahoe and we see several concussions a week. You should go and get checked out. Some concussions can last a few weeks to several months. If your symptoms persists it is very important to follow up with a doctor. That means getting a CT scan to rule out...something more serious.
What you will experience is referred to as "post concussion syndrome." Drink lots of water get plenty of sleep and keep your feet on the ground for a bit.

I got a concussion well wearing a helmet a few years ago and I didn't feel right for 3-4weeks.

TPM Sister#130ONTIG#1
I love vodka.I love vodka cause it rhymes with Tuaca~LisaH
You having a clean thought is like billyvance having a clean post.iluvtofly

[Muenkel 0]

Allen,

I am entering my ninth month of recovery from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. I have atleast (best guess) another year of recovery. I went to the ER the night of my accident and experienced the most excruciating pain in my life. Morphine and Atavan did not touch it.

However, in a few days I felt OK and even got on a plane to Nashville to meet some friends for a long weekend. I did OK, but something was wrong with my thinking that I could not figure out. I just was not myself. 12 days after my accident, I was unable to speak coherently, walk without holding on to something, remember what occurred just moments before, among many other symptoms. Trust me, you need to be checked out by a doctor.

If you have any questions, feel free to pm me. I think I can write a book on this topic.

Best of luck to you,
Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[baa75 0]

Wow! I'm glad you're doing ok!

I was actually in a nasty car accident last year and blacked out multiple times. I took a flight from Philly to Atlanta the next weekend too. Flight down was fine, flight back I was in tears & thought my head was going to explode! I actually lost bits of my memory during all of that too. Was very weird.

Got rear-ended just a few months later and now it doesn't seem to take much to knock me out. (though usually just for a second or two)

First accident, obvious concussion, the others I've had the field sobriety type tests and have been told that I'm fine. Any ideas how common it is to "seem" fine but not be?

BettyAnn

Getting married? Check out my website!

[Muenkel 0]

This is one of the most misunderstood injuries. People around you cannot completely understand. You may look fine, but there is so much shit going on inside your head and you can't find the words to explain it.

BTW, I have to proofread each one of my posts atleast 3 times to make sure it made any sense.

Chris

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Chris