Is a concussion serious?

Written by Li Pei
Neurosurgery
Updated on March 26, 2025
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Concussion is the mildest form of traumatic brain injury. It occurs as a transient inhibition of brain function following head trauma, characterized by a brief period of confusion post-injury, usually not exceeding half an hour. Patients may also experience retrograde amnesia, unable to recall the incident of injury. Neurological examinations and head CT scans typically show no significant abnormalities, and results from lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid tests are normal. Most patients generally recover slowly after resting in bed for 1-2 weeks post-injury, without the need for special treatment. If symptoms such as headache or dizziness are prominent, some analgesics and sedatives or neurotrophic medications can be used for treatment, leading to gradual recovery. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Pei
Neurosurgery
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Is a concussion serious?

Concussion is the mildest form of traumatic brain injury. It occurs as a transient inhibition of brain function following head trauma, characterized by a brief period of confusion post-injury, usually not exceeding half an hour. Patients may also experience retrograde amnesia, unable to recall the incident of injury. Neurological examinations and head CT scans typically show no significant abnormalities, and results from lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid tests are normal. Most patients generally recover slowly after resting in bed for 1-2 weeks post-injury, without the need for special treatment. If symptoms such as headache or dizziness are prominent, some analgesics and sedatives or neurotrophic medications can be used for treatment, leading to gradual recovery. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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How to diagnose a concussion?

Concussion typically involves functional impairment of brain activities. His head CT showed no organic damage. The main clinical symptoms include transient consciousness disturbances and recent memory loss after the injury. Some patients may experience significant symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia, among other clinical symptoms. For concussion patients, the first step is to conduct a head CT to rule out intracranial organic injuries, followed by cerebrospinal fluid examination, and then an electroencephalogram test.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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How long should one rest for a concussion?

Concussions generally require about one to two weeks of rest, depending mainly on the specific symptoms of the patient. If the symptoms are relatively mild and the injury was not particularly severe, then about a week of rest is usually sufficient for returning to normal work and study. In some cases, if the concussion was relatively severe at the time of injury and subsequent complications or sequelae occur, then the rest period may need to be appropriately extended, possibly to about a month, depending on the patient's specific symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, resting for two weeks is generally sufficient for returning to normal work and study without involving any special issues. As long as medical advice is followed and treatment is correctly administered, many concussions can heal completely.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Mild concussion symptoms

For patients with mild concussion, they often experience temporary loss of consciousness after suffering from violent blows, car accidents, falls from heights, and other accidental injuries, generally lasting no longer than 30 minutes. When patients regain consciousness, they may feel headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and have difficulty accurately recalling the incident, often referred to as retrograde amnesia. For such patients, cranial CT or MRI scans often show no significant positive signs, and it is suggested that no special treatment is necessary. Instead, patients should focus on rest, avoid overworking and exhaustion, and reduce excessive mental stimulation. The symptoms of most patients will gradually alleviate or even disappear within about two weeks.

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Written by Li Jin Quan
General Surgery
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What department should I go to for a concussion?

Concussion is a relatively mild form of traumatic brain injury, usually involving disturbances in consciousness and short-term memory loss, with patients unable to recall the incident. Symptoms may include a drop in blood pressure, pale complexion, headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, reduced memory, or lack of concentration. Long-term effects can appear three months later. Patients with concussion can be treated in neurology or neurosurgery departments, among others.