It’s no shock that any damage to the brain should be taken very seriously. Our brain oversees our body’s overall executive function, and even small injuries could yield concerning consequences if left unaddressed. A common injury among young and old alike, approximately 1-3 million people visit the emergency room with concussions each year. One of the most common types of traumatic brain injuries, concussions can become life-threatening, especially multiple over your lifetime. Left undiagnosed, concussions could lead to concentration issues, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, memory problems, and more.
What is a Concussion?
Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury resulting from a blow to the head, vigorous shaking, or any other form of jarring, violent head movement. Because our brains are soft, vulnerable organs, we require a hard skull to protect it from damage. To prevent our brains from crashing against our skulls while we move, our spinal fluid acts as a natural defense, like padding. Unfortunately, if we get hit hard enough or jostled violently, this padding can’t stop our brain from hitting the skull and causing damage.
Concussions also compound themselves. Once your brain has been injured, it’s more susceptible to reinjury, so it’s important to get treatment immediately following any blow to the head. We know from medical research that those who receive immediate medical attention following a concussion have a far faster and more effective recovery than others.
Anyone can experience a concussion; however, there are a couple more vulnerable groups. While people often only associate concussions with high-impact activity, the most common cause of concussions is falls. According to the CDC, in 2024, seniors aged 75 years or older had the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalizations and deaths.
Athletes, especially those who play contact sports like lacrosse, soccer, or football, are also more likely to experience concussions. In fact, one study from the National Institutes of Health found that an estimated 3.8 million concussions occur in the United States annually as a result of sports or recreation, with a staggering 50 percent unreported and untreated.
Symptoms of a Concussion
Even small blows to the head can result in mild concussions and should not be taken lightly. Concussions can often go unrecognized or dismissed because their symptoms don’t match what we see on television or hear from friends. Symptoms of a concussion vary depending on the severity of your injury and your previous medical history of concussion. Symptoms of a concussion could include:
- Confusion
- Impaired balance
- Headache
- Blurry or double vision
- Nausea
- Memory Loss
- Loss of smell or taste
- Insomnia
- Ear ringing
- Vomiting
If you experience these symptoms after any kind of blow to the head, talk to a TPMG healthcare professional about your symptoms and further evaluation.
Concussion Diagnosis
Diagnosis of a concussion typically involves a medical evaluation. Your doctor will look over your symptoms and medical history (including previous concussions) and ask you questions about how and where the injury occurred. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) recommends against some forms of imaging (such as CT scans) as they cannot identify concussions and subject patients to unnecessary radiation. Your provider may order an MRI (which involves no radiation) to rule out more severe traumatic brain injury.
If your doctor has reasonable clinical suspicion of a concussion, they may ask you to undergo a series of tests to check your problem-solving ability, memory, strength, balance, eye motion, and reflexes.
Concussion Treatment
TPMG offers comprehensive concussion treatment and management for children, athletes, adults, and those of advanced age. Our comprehensive treatment programs incorporate pre and post-injury baseline testing, medical evaluation, headache management, vestibular evaluation, and more. Find a Provider for concussion treatment in Williamsburg, Yorktown, Newport News, Hampton and throughout the Virginia Peninsula.Â
