Concussion Warning Signs to Look Out For
When you think about someone having a concussion, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Most people will say they picture someone who's been knocked out cold after a huge hit. However, that's actually one of the biggest myths. According to our IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback Practitioner, Emily, it's a myth that prevents a lot of people from being treated, which causes a lot of head injuries to go unnoticed.
"There are a lot of times when I'm interviewing new patients and I ask if they've had a head injury, they think they have to have been knocked out for it to count," she says. “And that's not at all the truth."
So, what signs should you be on the lookout for? Here's what Emily suggests:
Physical Symptoms
Headaches
Visual disturbances
Nausea
Light and sound sensitivity
Ringing in the ears
Dizziness and disorientation
Cognitive Symptoms
Brain fog
Trouble with word recall
Amnesia-type memory gaps
In more severe cases, patients may not even remember the injury itself
Difficulty retaining or processing information
Mood and Behavior Changes
Short-fuse irritability or anger
Becoming unusually emotional or weepy
General mood instability that feels out of character
Why School Can Feel Impossible Post Concussion
For student athletes, the classroom can be one of the hardest places to recover. Bells, fluorescent lighting, and screen time can make symptoms much worse.
"Blue light is a major issue post-concussion," Emily explains. "The brain is already inflamed and dysregulated, and blue light just adds insult to injury. Blue light causes overstimulation of neuropathways, which can cause many of the symptoms above to be exacerbated.”
Emily’s recommendation for parents is to talk to your child's school about getting schoolwork and other materials printed out. The less screen time they have, the better their symptoms will be. If that's not possible, then blue light glasses can help relieve those symptoms.
