Concussion of the brain
Contents:
Description:
The concussion of the brain is posttraumatic change of the mental status most of which often is followed by amnesia with or without short-term loss of consciousness.
Quite often the victim remains in consciousness or the loss of consciousness for a short time which is followed by a disorientation within several minutes after blow is observed.
According to the Centers for control and prevention of diseases, about 300.000 people annually brain injuries from easy to moderate degree, most of them young people from 16 to 25 years.
Reasons of the Concussion of the brain:
The majority of cases of a concussion of the brain is caused by the road accidents and sports injuries. In the road accidents concussion can occur without actual blow to the head. On sports activities, especially craniocereberal injuries to a concussion of the brain happen soccer, hockey, boxing also quite often. Other important reasons include falling, collisions, blows when driving the bicycle, riding, skiing.
Small children most often receive a concussion of the brain at outdoor games at the playground. Child abuse, unfortunately, is one more common cause of concussion.
Origins of a craniocereberal injury
Symptoms of the Concussion of the brain:
Symptoms of concussion include the following:
- headache
- a disorientation on time, date or the place
- consciousness disturbance
- dizziness
- muffled speech
- lack of coordination of movements
- amnesia on the events which are directly preceding blow
- nausea or vomiting
- doubling in eyes
- a ring in ears
These symptoms can last of several minutes till several o'clock. Expressiveness and duration of the specified manifestations testifies to weight of a state. If after blow of people fainted, then duration of the unconscious period will make no more than several minutes. The unconscious period is longer, the injury is heavier.
Weight of concussion is estimated on the three-point scale used as criterion for the decision on treatment.
1 degree: there is no loss of consciousness, symptoms pass within 15 minutes.
2 degree: there is no loss of consciousness, symptoms are stopped during the period lasting more than 15 minutes.
3 degree: the loss of consciousness for any period is observed.
For some time after an injury of the person some symptoms can disturb:
- headache
- disturbance of attention and concentration
- problems with memory
- alarm
- depression
- sleep disorders
- photophobia and bad portability of noise.
Emergence of such symptoms is called "a post-accident syndrome".
Symptoms of a concussion of the brain
Treatment of the Concussion of the brain:
Usually symptoms of concussion pass independently.
At concussion of 1 degree rest is shown to the patient. The person can return to sports activities on the same day, but only after survey by the qualified specialist, after stopping of all symptoms. The person from the 2nd degree of concussion has to stop sports activity during the day, survey by the qualified specialist, observation of it during the day is necessary to be convinced that all symptoms were completely stopped. Progressing of symptomatology indicates KT or MPT the need. The person with 3y concussion degree (including any losses of consciousness, irrespective of their duration) has to be examined right after getting injured. In this case hospitalization is recommended. The long loss of consciousness and an aggravation of symptoms demand urgent survey of the neurosurgeon or transfer in the traumatologic center. If progress further, it is necessary to execute KT or MPT.
Concussion usually does not leave behind rough neurologic deficit. Nevertheless, symptoms after concussion a syndrome can remain several weeks or even months after an injury.
