At the same time, there are no visible changes in brain tissue (for example, with computed tomography of the brain), all violations occur at the cellular and subcellular level.
In severe cases rupture of blood vessels in the brain may occur but, which leads to hemorrhage, which can end in coma and death, since compression of vital centers in the brain can occur.
Also, in some cases, observe cerebral edema- This is an increased accumulation of fluid in the brain tissue. Concussions are especially dangerous, in which the brain stem, which is responsible for breathing and blood circulation, is injured.
Causes of injury
All concussions, in one way or another, are associated with the acceleration or deceleration of the movement of the brain inside the cranium.
Cause of concussion I can be a fall, a blow received in a fight (and not necessarily in the head), a consequence of traffic accidents, injuries received at home, during sports events or at work.
Pathogenesis
The following mechanical factors influence most of all - fixation of the head at the moment of concussion or it was in motion, the second moment is associated with a rise in intracranial pressure, which causes transient ischemia (oxygen starvation) of the brain.
All this causes different biochemical and biophysical changes in cells, which are often reversible. There are also symptoms that combine into post-concussion syndrome- This is dizziness, headaches and various manifestations of apathy and depression.
What are the signs of a concussion
What are the symptoms of a concussion?
The main signs of a concussion in adults:
- Almost always, with SHM, a person loses consciousness. The stronger the damage, the longer the period of fainting, in extreme cases a coma occurs.
- The manifestation of disorientation, memory is also impaired. The duration of the segment of memory loss can also be judged on the damage received.
- Nausea, vomiting, pallor, dizziness and headache, background in the ears, blurred vision, rapid breathing - all these are also signs of a concussion. The condition of the eyes can also say a lot - constricted or, on the contrary, dilated pupils are a sign of concussion, since the nerve pathways responsible for vision are disturbed. Also, by the reaction of the pupils to light, one can judge the degree of concussion - they react sluggishly - a weak concussion, do not react - a severe concussion. If only one icon reacts to light, one of the cerebral hemispheres is damaged.
Loss of consciousness, nausea and vomiting are always the first and main signs and symptoms of a concussion.
According to the duration of the manifestation of symptoms, three degrees are distinguished. SGM:
- Easy- the patient is unconscious for no more than 5 minutes. Signs and symptoms of mild concussion of the brain: pallor of the skin, decrease or absence of muscle tone in the arms and legs. The heart rate can either increase or slow down. Some people vomit.
- Average- loss of consciousness from 5 to 15 minutes. Disintegration of consciousness, retrograde amnesia, nystagmus (shifting eyes), nausea and vomiting, headaches and dizziness, weakness and asthenia are observed.
- In case of loss of consciousness for an interval of more than 15 minutes or falling into a coma, they state severe degree of SHM.
Delayed symptoms- These are symptoms that appear weeks or even months after the injury. To them include:
- squeezing headache, usually appearing after a week and a half after injury, less often after a month;
- unreasonable dizziness;
- fatigue develops into asthenia;
- irritability;
- increasing memory and attention disorders;
- an unreasonable feeling of anxiety, aggressiveness, tearfulness;
- hearing loss, vision, the appearance of extraneous noise;
- stress resistance falls, there is a craving for alcoholism;
- disorder of sexual functions.
Features of concussion in children
For infants, more frequent regurgitation is characteristic, and loss of consciousness is not observed at all. There may be increased excitability, sleep is disturbed, and in the first minutes after the impact, increased pallor is characteristic.
After trauma, preschoolers are more likely to experience such "adult" symptoms like loss of consciousness, nausea and vomiting.
The child has a headache, the pulse may become faster or slower, there are jumps in blood pressure, sweating and pallor.
Sleep disturbances, tearfulness and moodiness can also be observed.
Some children experience post-traumatic blindness - immediately after injury or later, loss of vision occurs from a couple of minutes to several hours - then it goes away. The nature of this disorder is not clear.
It is worth remembering that in children, the compensatory capabilities of the body can suppress the manifestation of symptoms for a long time, but then the picture deteriorates sharply. The child can fall during the day and only in the evening the increase in symptoms will begin.
Read more about the symptoms of concussion in children in our article.
As we all know, the child's body is very mobile. Rarely, children develop without receiving blows and bruises with abrasions. Among all types of injuries, the first ...
First aid
At least the first 2-3 days of bed rest.
The best cure for SHM is this is a dream, if there are problems with it, then you can take sedative medications based on valerian and motherwort.
You also need to reduce the load on the brain - it is worth giving up reading, working on a computer and watching TV for a few days.
You should also avoid bright lighting - curtains on the windows and a night light in the evening will help you with this.
A common consequence of SHM is cerebral edema - to prevent it it is recommended to drink less, leave mineral water from the drink, and exclude coffee and tea. in the diet, it is worth adhering to the fermented milk and vegetable directions, citrus fruits, bananas, walnuts are useful.
Avoid household chores, exercise, and driving for two weeks.
Treatment after a concussion
From the point of view of human physiology and anatomy, a concussion is a violation of functional connections between the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex ...
Effects
It is worth noting such effects:
- In some patients, there is a clouding of consciousness when drinking alcohol or an infection of the body (for example, with the flu).
- Headaches that are aggravated by physical exertion or certain bending of the body. There may be flushes of blood to the head, followed by paleness, while accompanied by sweating.
- Loss of ability to concentrate and fatigue very quickly.
- Uncontrolled outbursts of aggression, after which the patient experiences awareness and remorse for what he has done.
- Seizures similar to an epileptic seizure may appear.
- The appearance of paranoid qualities - constant anxiety, fear, worries for any reason. This leads to insomnia and general degradation of the personality.
Read more about the consequences in our article.
Consequences and complications after a concussion - psychosis, parkinsonism and others
A concussion is a violation of the integrity of the bones of the skull or soft tissues. An accident can happen to a person in which ...
Injury prevention
It must be remembered what:
- When playing contact or rollerblading, cycling, ice skating, skiing, skateboarding, wear a helmet.
- If you like to practice martial arts - pay due attention to head protection.
- Wear your seatbelts when driving.
- At home, consider the situation so that you do not stumble over the elements of the interior or these elements do not fall on you. Do not block the passageways in the rooms and corridor along which you move in the dark.
- Exercise caution in situations where there is a risk of head injury.
Remember! If you or someone close to you fell unsuccessfully or hit your head hard, do not let this incident take its course - see a doctor... If all is well, then you can sleep soundly, if not, then you can avoid all the consequences described above.
And do not pay attention to the profound statements of the learned neighbors - you got a concussion, now you will suffer to death with headaches - with timely treatment, headache is observed in only 1% of patients in a year.
Video: What happens from a concussion?
What processes occur during a concussion. How to help with such an injury. The video contains answers to these and many other questions.
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