Is your thinking fuzzy? Are you having a hard time following conversations? You may be experiencing brain fog. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive therapy that may clear away your foggy thinking.
Recognizing a concussion can be tricky because the symptoms are often mild. Yet, even with minimal symptoms, a concussion still alters brain function, damages nerves, and can bruise the brain.
You should always get a thorough evaluation right after a concussion and learning the symptoms can help you know when to schedule an appointment even when you or your child feel fine. If you have questions or concerns about subtle signs, Kevin T. Murphy, MD and our team at MindSet are here to help.
Here’s everything you need to know about concussion symptoms.
Many people think that a concussion causes the person to blackout. But fewer than 10% of people who sustain a concussion lose consciousness and if they blackout, it lasts less than a few minutes.
If you or your child lose consciousness for more than a few minutes, it’s a sign of a more severe traumatic brain injury.
The following symptoms caused by a concussion may appear immediately or be delayed for days or weeks.
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that headaches are the most common concussion symptom. The headache may range from mild to a severe migraine.
Feeling confused and losing your most recent memories often occur after a concussion. When your memory is affected, you’ll have a hard time recalling what happened immediately before the event that caused the concussion.
In some cases, you may not remember your name or your location. Memory problems may not occur for a few hours or days, and then you or your child may not remember how you got hurt.
The impact that causes a concussion, may also lead to damage in your middle or inner ear. This type of damage can cause dizziness, feeling like the room is spinning, and loss of balance. In severe cases, a concussion may lead to hearing loss and bleeding from the ear.
After a concussion, it’s normal to have a hard time concentrating and processing directions. You or your child may be slow to respond to questions or find that it’s hard to remember directions.
You or your child may “see stars,” or flashes of light, when the force of the concussion disrupts the nerve signals traveling from your eyes to your brain. Other vision changes, such as blurred or double vision, are signs of more severe brain damage.
Nausea and vomiting typically appear right after the injury, but these symptoms can also be delayed. Unfortunately, that makes it hard to determine if they’re due to a concussion or a stomach problem.
A concussion can lead to anxiety, depression, and general irritability.
Your brain needs a lot of rest after a concussion so it can heal. As a result, it’s common to feel fatigued.
When you sustain a brain injury, your brainwaves are affected. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) show that at first, brain activity spikes, but then it slows down and becomes sluggish.
Brainwaves return to normal for most patients during the initial healing period. However, it can take many months to regain a normal EEG and for some, the abnormal changes become chronic.
If you continue to have an abnormal EEG, we can restore brain activity with personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (PrTMS). PrTMS consists of a series of treatments using magnetic impulses that trigger nerve activity and reestablish normal brainwaves. PrTMS is proven to be safe and it typically produces fast results.
If you need help with a concussion, call MindSet, or request an appointment online.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Is your thinking fuzzy? Are you having a hard time following conversations? You may be experiencing brain fog. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive therapy that may clear away your foggy thinking.
If you’re a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you need to know that effective treatments are available. Even if you had treatment that failed, you still have hope. Read on to learn about transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
You can definitely support your own mental health and this blog gives you the top six proactive steps you can take to make that happen. But it’s also vital to know when it’s time to seek professional support. Here’s what you need to know.
Did you know that 7% of all car accidents and 16% of fatal car crashes involve driver drowsiness due to lack of sleep? Beyond drowsiness, sleep loss leads to many physical and psychological problems. Read on to learn how to prevent them.
Don’t make the mistake of confusing postpartum depression with the baby blues. The blues go away but depression persists, stealing time to bond with and enjoy your precious new baby. Read on to learn the signs of postpartum depression.
You may be surprised to learn that social anxiety is not just shyness. Anxiety that affects your ability to socialize is an intense mental health disorder that affects 7% of children and adults. But you can overcome social anxiety with treatment.