Concussion Safety

What is a Concussion?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a concussion as a, “type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.”

 

Signs of a Concussion:

  • Headache

  • Dizziness or confusion

  • Feeling sick

  • Coordination or balance problems

  • Blurred vision

  • Speech problems

  • Trouble thinking or remembering

  • Changes in sleep of feeling sleepy

  • Mood changes

 

Signs of an Emergency Concussion:

If you witness any of the following emergency concussion symptoms, call 911 immediately.

  • The person passed out and can't be woken up.
  • The person has seizures.
  • The person's speech is slurred.
  • The person seems to be getting more confused, restless, sleepy, or agitated.
  • The person has thrown up more than once.
  • The person has a headache that gets worse or won't go away.

 

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html

  2. https://teenshealth.org/en/teens/center/concussions-ctr.html?ref=search&WT.ac=msh-t-dtop-en-search-clk

  3. https://teenshealth.org/en/teens/concussions.html?WT.ac=en-t-concussions-ctr-b