Concussion | Causes, symptoms and signs of traumatic brain injury

Lucknow: Teenagers playing sports that requires a physical contact between the players are more likely to suffer from concussions. According to the study, athletes playing any of the 21 sports, are reported to have at least one diagnosed concussion in their lifetime.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussions can lead to headaches, nausea and irritability, while between 10 and 20 per cent may experience symptoms like depression, headaches or difficulty concentrating.

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The findings come at a time as interest in concussions among professional athletes, especially those in the National Football League, has increased in the US.

The study analysed data from more than 13,088 teenagers in the 2016 Monitoring the Future survey, a national study by University of Michigan, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that tracks US students in grades 8, 10 and 12.

CONCUSSION

Concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. It can also be defines as a head injury with the loss of brain function.

Concussion is also known as minor head trauma or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI ).

SYMPTOMS

It's symptoms include a variety of physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms which may not be recognized if subtle.

In general, the signs can be categorized into physical signs (such as loss of consciousness or amnesia), behavioral changes (such as irritability), cognitive impairment (such as slowed reaction times), and sleep disturbances.

Common causes include sports injuries, bicycle accidents, car accidents, and falls, the latter two being the most frequent causes among adults.

SIGNS OF CONCUSSION:

• You may have a visible cut or bruise on your head, you can not actually see a concussion.
• Signs may not appear for days or weeks after the injury.
• Sometimes symptoms last for just few minutes or less than a minute.

There are some common physical, mental and emotional symptoms a person may display following a concussion.

ANY OF THESE COULD BE A SIGN OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY:

Confusion or feeling dazed

Clumsiness

Slurred speech

Nausea or vomiting

Headache

Balance problems or dizziness

Blurred vision

Sensitivity to light

Sensitivity to noise

Sluggishness

Ringing in ears

Behavior or personality changes

Concentration difficulties

Memory loss