What is a concussion?

The following may be symptoms of a concussion...

• Headache

• "Pressure in head"

• Neck Pain

• Nausea or vomiting

• Dizziness

• Blurred vision

• Balance problems 

• Sensitivity to light

• Sensitivity to noise

• Feeling slowed down

• Feeling like "in a fog"

• "Don't feel right"

• Difficulty concentrating

• Difficulty remembering

• Fatigue or low energy

• Confusion

• Drowsiness

• More emotional

• Irritability

• Sadness

• Nervous or anxious

• Trouble falling asleep

All individuals who experience a head injury should be followed by a physician.  A diagnosis of concussion is based on multiple tools, which often include patient reported symptoms, neurocognitive tests, measures of balance, reaction time, and an assessment of the cervical spine.

Anyone experiencing the following symptoms should Call their doctor or go to the nearest hospital immediately if any of the following occur after an injury to the head:

• change in behaviour

• vomiting

• worsening headache

• double vision

• excessive drowsiness

References:

Evans, M. (2014,August).  Concussion Management and Return to Learn.  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_55YmblG9YM.

McCrory, P., Meeuwisse, W., Dvorak, J., Aubry, M., Bailes, J., Broglio, S., ... & Davis, G. A. (2017). Consensus statement on concussion in sport—the 5th international conference on concussion in sport held in Berlin, October 2016. Br J Sports Med, bjsports-2017.

Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. (2013). Guidelines for concussion/mild traumatic brain injury & persistent symptoms : for adults (18+ years of age) Vol. 2nd edition..  Retrieved from http://onf.org/system/attachments/223/original/ONF_mTBI_Guidelines_2nd_Edition_COMPLETE.pdf