Concussions

A concussion is one type of head injury that involves the brain. It's sometimes referred to as a closed head injury, or it may be written up in some resources as a post-traumatic concussion. Not all experts agree on the precise terminology or even that symptoms and problems can persist for a long time following a concussion.

Given that most of us are always hitting our heads from time to time, it's a wonder more of us don't suffer some form of concussion. In fact, we may have done so, and just not recognized the signs. For example, we may have felt dazed or confused, instead of passing out.

Somewhere between half a million and a million head injuries every year result in hospitalization. Accurate figures are not really possible, since some sources use just the USA, while others include Canada. Trying to be worldwide on the subject gets into some very nebulous statistics. For one thing, they wouldn't include the people who are outside the realm of available medical help, let alone reporting.

Symptoms of a Concussion

It's generally agreed that concussions may be mild, moderate or serious. The symptoms of a concussion may last only a few minutes or several hours. Or, reaching the level of controversy, symptoms may recur for a year or more. Anyone experiencing repeated headaches, ongoing nausea (with or without vomiting), mental confusion, numbness or fatigue, or personality changes, may have undergone a serious traumatic injury. Other symptoms may last for a shorter period of time, but still be related to the same injury.