Concussion
Concussion occurs when a blow or impact to the head causes a sudden disruption to part of the brain known as the reticular activating system (RAS).
The RAS is located in the middle of your brain, and helps regulate your sense of awareness and consciousness. It also acts as a filter that allows you to ignore unimportant information by focusing on details you need.
For example, your RAS helps you to:
During a head injury severe enough to cause concussion, your brain is moved out of its normal position for a short time. This rotation disrupts the electrical activities ofbrain cells that make up the RAS, which in turn triggerssymptoms associated with concussion, such as:
The three main causes of concussion are:
Activities known to have a higher-than-average risk of concussion include:
Most doctors would argue that the physical benefits of regularly taking part in these sports outweigh any potential risks associated with concussion.
But this is only if you (or your child) wear appropriate equipment, such as a helmet, andaresupervised by a suitably trained referee, umpire or trainer with experienceof diagnosing and treating concussion.
The exception to this is boxing, as most doctorsespecially those who treat head injuries have stated that the risks of serious brain injury associated with boxing are unacceptably high and the sport should be made illegal.
Concussion (minor traumatic brain injury) is the sudden but short-lived loss of mental function that occurs after a blow or other injury to the head.
Common symptoms of concussion include headache, nausea, loss of balance, memory loss and dizziness. Symptoms of concussion can be mild to severe.
Concussion occurs when a blow or impact to the head causes a sudden disruption to part of the brain known as the reticular activating system (RAS).
Concussion is often diagnosed in the accident and emergency (A&E) department, by a paramedic at the scene of an accident, or by another trained official.
If there are no signs or symptoms that suggest a more serious brain injury has taken place, most cases of concussion can be treated at home.
Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is the term used to describe a collection of symptoms that can last for several weeks or months after the concussion.
There are a number of basic commonsense precautions you can take to reduce your risk of concussion.