After minor injuries, few immediately seek medical help, even when it comes to headaches. Having slipped in the winter on ice or in the summer falling from a bicycle, rollers or other transport, in fact you can get such a serious problem as a concussion. Signs and first aid to the victim in such situations will be described in the article.
Characteristics of the problem
Getting injured due to structural features of a person. The brain is necessarily surrounded by a special fluid, which is responsible for cushioning during various sudden movements of the body in space. A concussion occurs when the brain collides with the inner walls of the skull, that is, the liquid diverges and does not save the main organ of the head from an impact. Concussion does not affect the structure of the brain, but at the same time, after an injury, its functions are disturbed.
Concussion is considered the easiest form of head trauma, but at the same time, a malfunction of the center of the nervous system can accompany the patient for a month. To reduce the risk of complications and accelerate recovery, it is necessary to correctly and quickly provide first aid for concussion. Usually, with a timely reaction and proper treatment, all unpleasant symptoms disappear within a week.
First aid
Since even a minor bruise or fall can lead to a concussion, the victim must immediately be given the most correct medical assistance. Initially, first aid for a concussion involves examining the condition of the victim: is he conscious, is there a pulse, breathing, and other signs of life. If necessary, first of all, resuscitation measures are taken - closed heart massage, mechanical ventilation, and so on.
If the patient is simply unconscious, but at the same time shows signs of life, it is necessary to turn him on his side and put a folded jacket, bag or hands under his head. This position contributes to the unhindered flow of air into the lungs and eliminates the risk of choking on vomit.
Next, first aid is required for a concussion, so you should call an ambulance or transfer the victim to the hospital yourself. While waiting for specialists should treat existing wounds and provide the patient with access to fresh air and peace. It is strictly forbidden to let him sleep, take any medications and leave him unattended. Also, you should not feed and drink the victim, as all this will provoke vomiting.
Medical therapy
Proper and timely first aid for concussion reduces the risk of adverse effects during further treatment. In the medical facility, the victim must be examined and, if necessary, the necessary examinations are carried out. Depending on the severity of the condition, further treatment can be carried out at home or under the supervision of a doctor.
Mild
With such a concussion, the patient is immediately sent home after examination, subject to compliance with all the requirements of a specialist. So, victims are necessarily prescribed sedatives, bed rest and a strict diet.
Any physical activity, reading books or even watching TV is prohibited, as they can cause dizziness, headaches and other symptoms of worsening condition.
Severe conditions
The provision of first aid for a moderate concussion in a similar way helps to facilitate further treatment and the general condition of the victim, but he is still left in the hospital. Bed rest and diet remain mandatory, as is the ban on reading books, watching videos or playing games on gadgets. The list of medications is expanding significantly. Patients are prescribed such drugs:
- sedatives;
- painkillers;
- normalizing sleep;
- improving cerebral circulation and activity;
- eliminating dizziness;
- general strengthening.
Subject to all the doctor’s recommendations, relief occurs within 7 days, but full recovery occurs after 3-10 months, or even after a year. The therapy at the same time lasts 30 days, and the remaining period the victim is under medical supervision and should periodically visit doctors to examine and prevent complications.
Childhood injuries
First aid for a concussion in a child includes the same actions, but medical therapy is significantly different from that provided by adults. Affected children in the hospital are immediately limited in physical activity and sedatives and pain medications are prescribed. The rest of the list of medicines is already unlike prescriptions for adults:
- diuretic drugs;
- antihistamines;
- potassium preparations.
After alleviating the condition of the baby, he is discharged for home treatment and prescribed nootropics and vitamins for the speedy recovery of the body.
Symptoms of trauma in children are short-term loss of consciousness, possible disorientation, headaches, dizziness, dyspeptic disorders and malaise. A concussion at this age can provoke the appearance of post-traumatic blindness and other complications, therefore, at the slightest suspicion, you should immediately seek qualified help.
Tremors in infants
Kids who are still not able to move on their own will most often receive head injuries when falling from a height. This occurs when rolling off a bed, changing table, sofa, or when falling from the hands of adults.
At this age, first aid for concussion is not required, since infants do not show significant changes and developmental abnormalities, and the trauma itself often has a favorable prognosis. Concussion symptoms are mild in babies and are characterized by sensitive sleep, drowsiness, palpitations, pallor of the skin, decreased appetite, anxiety, and a single vomiting or regurgitation after feeding. Loss of consciousness during trauma is observed only in older children.
Causes of Concussions
Most often, the injury occurs with head injuries, falls, during sports or road accidents.
This can be facilitated by:
- violation of the connection of brain neurons;
- a change in the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid;
- cerebrovascular spasms;
- changes in the molecules of brain tissue;
- violation of the connection between the cerebral cortex and its other structures.
Knowing the rules of first aid for concussion is useful for everyone, since in 80% of cases of head injuries, such a diagnosis is made. Concussion is most dangerous for children aged 7-18 years, since the risk of complications is quite high. These include not only the likelihood of death, but with full recovery, an increase in the propensity for alcoholism.
Interestingly, to get a concussion it is not necessary to get a blow to the head, it is enough to land on another part of the body when it falls, but a sharp movement in space will already lead to blurred consciousness. According to statistics, men are more likely to receive such an injury, but women suffer it much harder.
Degree of injury
A mild concussion is accompanied by a short-term increase in temperature and loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, and headaches. The condition, as a rule, occurs with noticeable external damage and normalizes quickly enough. The moderate severity is already characterized by the inability to orient, concentrate, and lasts about half an hour. Severe trauma is accompanied by symptoms for a month.
First aid for concussion should also be given to victims with uncharacteristic signs of trauma. Among those noted:
- Amnesia
- fainting condition;
- visual disturbances;
- noise or ringing in the ears;
- loss of appetite;
- excessive sweating;
- sleep disturbance;
- increased or slowed heartbeat;
- lethargy.
It happens that the signs of concussion do not appear at the moment of impact, but only after a few hours or even days. These symptoms include:
- depression and irritability;
- intolerance to bright light;
- sensitivity to loud sounds;
- a sharp change in mood;
- lack of concentration.
It is important to understand that with an injury only one of all the possible signs of a concussion or several of these may occur. In old age, the symptoms are manifested as severely as possible. Adult victims under the age of 35 tend to lose consciousness with bruising.
Complications
Even if during the fall and bruise there was not one of the signs of a concussion, first aid at home and in a medical facility should be provided, since an injury can manifest itself in the future as serious complications in the form of various disorders in the functioning of the brain. Such consequences can manifest themselves several years after the incident, but seriously change the whole future life. The most serious complications are:
- intelligence disorder;
- meningitis;
- epilepsy;
- encephalitis;
- emotional disturbances;
- regular headaches;
- vegetovascular dystonia;
- vestibulopathy is post-traumatic.
Of course, it is impossible to completely protect yourself or your child from receiving such an injury, but we are able to minimize such risks. To avoid injuries as rarely as possible, you should always fasten your seatbelts when driving in a car, carry children only in special seats, wear helmets when riding on roller skates or bicycles, and always wear a helmet when you are at a construction site or any other potentially dangerous object.
Only timely safety measures will help protect yourself and your loved ones from serious health problems.