Is a concussion considered a minor injury?

Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
Updated on September 26, 2024
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Patients with concussion exhibit a brief disturbance in consciousness due to injury, which does not last more than half an hour. They also experience recent memory loss, meaning patients cannot recall the circumstances of the injury. Additionally, some patients may experience a range of clinical symptoms including headache, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, loss of appetite, lack of concentration, and decreased memory. The vast majority of concussion patients can recover with one to two weeks of rest. Furthermore, head CT scans of concussion patients do not show any organic changes. Therefore, concussions are generally not considered minor injuries.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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Mild concussion sequelae

Mild concussions generally do not have any lasting effects. After a mild concussion, as long as one rests well, maintains a good mindset, and uses medication when necessary, along with symptomatic supportive treatment, the vast majority of people can fully recover within one to two weeks without any lasting effects. Only a few people, due to psychological and mental factors, may continue to experience symptoms that are difficult to improve for more than three months. In these cases, we consider these to be the after-effects of mild concussion, which mainly manifest as headaches, dizziness, dry heaving, vomiting, anxiety, insomnia, lack of concentration, memory decline, slow reactions, irritability, and a bad temper, among others.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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What to do if you feel dizzy from a concussion?

Patients with concussion often exhibit signs of transient consciousness disorders and recent memory loss after injury. Some patients may experience varying degrees of headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, blindness, and other clinical symptoms. If a patient with concussion experiences dizziness, the first step is to rule out the possibility of intracranial organic lesions through examination of the head and body. Then, the patient should rest in bed in a quiet environment with dim lighting. Additionally, symptomatic treatment with medications, including some that expand cerebral blood vessels, can be administered.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Concussions are classified into several types.

Concussions are usually categorized into several levels based on the severity of their clinical symptoms. Generally, the higher the level, the more pronounced the symptoms in patients. They can generally be divided into five levels. Patients with a level one concussion may experience mild consciousness disturbances, but these are short-lived and generally do not leave noticeable residual effects. Patients with a level two concussion might experience slight headaches and dizziness, accompanied by vertigo. Patients with a level three concussion show evident retrograde amnesia. Patients with a level four concussion experience mild disturbances in consciousness, manifesting as states of drowsiness, stupor, or coma. Patients with a level five concussion present with clear clinical symptoms, characterized by recurrent headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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concussion symptoms

The symptoms of a concussion must be judged according to the situation. Different types of individuals may exhibit various clinical symptoms, and not all symptoms described in textbooks will necessarily appear. Many will experience dizziness, headache, vomiting, nausea, and other related clinical symptoms; some may experience transient epileptic seizures, limb numbness and weakness, or speech impairments; some individuals might also experience retrograde amnesia, meaning they forget the events that occurred at the time of the injury; and some may enter a state of coma, lasting more than five minutes but less than half an hour. Therefore, these are all symptoms of a concussion, but not everyone will experience them, and some may also have additional symptoms, which should be assessed based on the situation at the time.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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How to administer first aid for a concussion

After a concussion occurs, the injured should be quickly moved from a dangerous environment to a safe area. The injured person should lie flat and rest quietly without sitting up or standing. The head can be appropriately cooled, and it is important to keep the body warm. For patients who are unconscious, it is necessary to keep the airway clear and closely observe their consciousness and pupils. If there are airway secretions or vomiting, they should be cleaned up promptly. If the patient has already experienced respiratory or circulatory problems, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed. After the aforementioned emergency treatment, the next step is to transport the patient to a nearby well-equipped hospital for further diagnosis and treatment.