Concussion Information Series Chapter II: Common Symptoms of Concussion
Categories: Living with Brain Injury, Being a Caregiver
Symptoms of concussion can range from being hard-to-see to the very obvious. They can impact all areas of a student’s life – whether they are at home, at school or at play. All symptoms should be monitored and cared for until they are all fully resolved. On a cautious note, it is important to not confuse symptoms of concussion with symptoms from other conditions that your student might have, or changes in behavior that might occur from other stresses in your student’s life. Having difficulty falling asleep could be due to a concussion. But it could also be due to stress about an upcoming exam at school. Take all of your student’s behaviors into consideration, taking note of those that are unique to other events that are occurring in his/her life. Those behaviors that aren’t typical for your student or that you can’t link to something else happening in their life may be the result of a concussion.
Important Take-Away Points
- Full recovery can take can take up to 2-3 weeks. It is essential to get appropriate care to have the best chance for a full recovery.
- Some symptoms may not seem related to the injury – however, they should not be ignored.
- If you are not sure about a symptom, or if the symptoms worsen, you should contact a healthcare professional who has training and experience in the management of a concussion.
- After sustaining a concussion it is very important to avoid any activity that places the student at risk of sustaining another concussion.
What are the symptoms of concussion? The symptoms can be highly variable and each student may experience them somewhat differently. They can impact physical well-being, thinking skills, behaviors and emotions, and even sleep patterns. It is important to recognize these changes as symptoms of a concussion and seek out healthcare professionals with training and experience in concussion management to support recovery.
Watch the following video to learn more about specific symptoms of concussion.