By: Gabrielle Larocque 9/19/17

What is a concussion? Many people you know probably have had one before. A concussion is a brain injury that disrupts  your brain functions. They can be caused by a blow to the head, or just intense shaking of the upper body or head. It is when your brain slides back and forth against your skull, forcefully. You are at more of a risk to get a concussion, if you play a contact sport. Such as hockey, football, boxing, and more. You can also get a concussion if you fall and hit your head, or get in a car crash.

If you play a sport, you most likely take an impact test.  This test is to see how your brain works before a concussion, so they can compare it to how it works after a concussion. So when they think you have a concussion or you are recovering from one, they make you take the test again to make sure you haven’t lost any neurocognitive skills.

        Usually a concussion can be self diagnosed. Some people,  may even pass out when they get a concussion. Some symptoms are headaches, confusion, memory loss, lack of coordination, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and more. You may feel dazed, as if you weren’t yourself. So if you can remember getting hit in the head, and you experience some of these symptoms, you may have a concussion. Sometimes, you may not even experience symptoms until a few days or weeks after the injury. Others, may feel the symptoms right a way. Everyone experiences concussions differently. If it gets worse, you  may experience more intense symptoms. Such as seizures, non-stop headaches, inability to wake up , and slurred speech. If you experience these symptoms, you should definitely see a health care professional.

If you go to a doctors, they might run tests to see how your balance, vision, coordination, and reflexes are. You might even need a scan of your brain, such as a CT scan or a MRI. They want to see what is going on inside your head.  A concussion doesn’t have a cure, but most people will recover within a few days or sometimes weeks. To recover fully, you need to rest and take a break from your activities such as sports. Reducing your time spent playing video games, watching tv, and staring at a screen should help you recover as well. If your symptoms are unbearable, you can take medication for headaches and nausea. Staying hydrated, can also help in the long run.

Concussions are pretty serious, so to prevent getting one you should always be cautious. For example if you play football, make sure you always wear your helmet. Or if you are riding a bike, you should always wear a helmet. If you fall and hit your head when you are not wearing a helmet, you most likely will get a concussion. There is no way to really prevent you getting a concussion throughout your whole life, but if you are cautious you will have a better chance of not getting one.