Concussion Symptoms

How to Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion

By Rod Brouhard, About.com Guide

Updated December 08, 2010

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Quarterback Aaron Garcia #8 of the New York Dragons is attended to by the trainers after suffering a mild concussion.

See More About

A concussion is an injury to the brain that comes from a solid hit to the head (such as getting tackled in football) or a shockwave (such as an explosion). Concussion symptoms range from obvious brain injury to very subtle changes in behavior. Researchers aren't completely sure how a concussion works, but it definitely affects the brain's ability to function correctly, at least short term.

Diagnosing a concussion can be complicated. There are several signs or symptoms that can indicate a victim has suffered a concussion. It pays to have someone specifically trained in recognizing concussions to evaluate possible concussion symptoms. These are some red flags (signs of a concussion) to look for after a hard hit on the head:

loss of consciousness (getting knocked out)
confusion
inability to pay attention
memory loss (for example, an athlete should know where the game is, what quarter/half it is, who scored last, who the team played last week and which team won the last game he or she played)
losing balance or coordination

Those are all signs of a concussion (things an observer can see), but the symptoms of a concussion (things the victim feels) are important as well. If the victim complains about any of these concussion symptoms after a hit on the head -- especially if any of the previous signs are also present -- the victim should not continue the high risk behavior (playing or practicing, getting behind the wheel, going back to combat, etc) until evaluated by a healthcare provider:

headache
nausea
dizziness or vertigo
ringing in the ears

It's not required to have all of these -- or even more than one -- for an injury to the head to be a concussion. Indeed, there's a common misconception that in order for an injury to be a concussion the victim has to get knocked out or not remember what happened, but that is incorrect.

It's one thing to be a little dizzy after hitting your head accidentally and resting until you feel better, but it's something else entirely to go back into a football game and risk another hit.

Don't underestimate the power of a concussion. It may seem like a minor injury, especially if the victim wasn't knocked out. You may think you just "got your bell rung" when a hit on the noggin makes you see stars. However, once a person has suffered a concussion, it's easier to get the next one.

_Sources:

_{Guskiewicz, K.M., et al. "Research based recommendations on management of sport related concussion: summary of the National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement." Br J Sports Med. 2006 Jan; 40(1): 6–10.}

_{Theye, Fred and Karla A. Mueller. "'Heads Up': Concussions in High School Sports." Clin Med Res. 2004 Aug; 2(3): 165–171.}