Are You Okay If You Have No Immediate Indications of a Concussion?
You’re in a car accident or fall down and hit your head. You get up and shake it off. You may get a headache, but it goes away pretty quickly. For weeks, you don’t notice anything unusual. Lately, though, you’re feeling tired and moody. Maybe you have a few bouts of nausea or vomiting. Could it be tied to the bump on your head? Can you still have a concussion even though there were no telltale signs in the days and weeks following your injury?
How Soon Should You Expect to See Signs of a Concussion?
Though most symptoms of a concussion appear within minutes or hours of a bump or blow to the head, some may take weeks or even months to become recognizable. Furthermore, many side effects or consequences of a concussion can be mild or virtually non-existent in the immediate aftermath but become progressively worse over time. Additionally, you may fail to understand some of the symptoms in the minutes, hours, or days immediately after a head injury, leading you to believe that you are fine. This may in turn allow you to think it’s alright to engage in behavior or activities that can exacerbate a mild concussion and thereby produce more noticeable symptoms.
As a general rule, any time there’s a significant impact to your head or neck, or your head or brain violently jerks one way or another, you should seek treatment for a possible concussion. Often, your doctor will prescribe a regimen of care that assumes you may have a concussion, so that you avoid doing things to worsen your condition. Among the things you should avoid for a while after any bump or blow to the head include the following:
- Strenuous physical activity—Your doctor may limit the amount of weight you should lift and is likely to recommend that you avoid athletic activities for a while. Walking is generally allowed.
- Excessive screen time—You should limit your time looking at a cell phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or big screen TV.
- Complicated mental tasks—Your brain needs some rest. It’s not the time to try to prove the Pythagorean theorem.
Contact Us to Set Up an Appointment
At Advantage Healthcare Systems, we have extensive experience working successfully with individuals who suffer any type of concussion or other traumatic brain injury. Call us toll-free at 1-877-487-8289 or fill out the form provided below to schedule an assessment. We offer locations across Texas, including Fort Worth, Dallas, and San Antonio.
