Concussions: Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Therapy

Abstract

Concussions Introduction Therapy and counseling play a significant role in response to concussions. While defining concussion, it is imperative to note that it serves as a traumatic brain injury which medical providers describe as a mild brain injury. Nevertheless, though concussion is mild and not life-threatening, its effects, if not adequately addressed, may become serious, leading to death in severe cases. Concussions are caused by a blow, jolt, a bump to the head, or a sudden hit to the body, making the head and brain move rapidly back and forth. To this effect, the violent shakes make the brain bounce around or even twist the skull, which enhances chemical changes in the brain. In severe cases, concussions make the brain stretch which damages the brain cells leading to abnormal brain functioning. Understanding concussions' leading causes, symptoms and risk factors is a strong base for understanding the most effective therapy to remedy the experience. According to Kneavel et al. (4), the brain proves very fragile as unlike the other parts of the body, which contain strong bones to support them, the brain consist of soft tissues cushioned by the spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull/head. To this effect, any minor/major blow or bump to the head may lead to a jolt/violent shake of the brain. Therefore, one can argue that concussions are the funny feeling that the brain experiences after a blow or bump. Other than the head bump or blow, a sudden hit to the body can also excellently cause concussions. Ahmed, Osman Hassan, and Eric (7) argue that when a body receives an unexpected hit, the effects are directly communicated in the brain, making it shake violently as a response to the unexpected hit. To this effect, the victim may feel dizzy, which causes imbalances in the body, especially with vision and walking as a response to the abnormal functioning of the shaken brain. Various factors expose a victim to experience a concussion. As argued earlier, the brain remains well encased in the protective cells of the skull, which implies that unless there is a force that triggers its injury, the brain's location serves as a potential protective gear. However, anyone can be injured during a car accident while engaging in physical exercises, a fall, among other daily activities. For instance, when engaging in physical activities, the players may bump on each other unintentionally and cause sudden hits to their bodies leading to a violent shake on their brains. In a car accident, among other accidents that one may encounter, the impact of the hit, whether on the body or the head, leads to abnormal shake of the brain, which translates into blurred vision, among other effects. Last but not least, when one falls, especially while running or from a distance, maybe from rooftop to the ground, the impact of the hit becomes directly translated in the brain, which impacts its functioning upon a sudden shake/jolt. To this effect, any impact on the body or head that makes the brain have a sudden shake leads to concussion, thus the need to understand the main symptoms that befall the experience. Concussion symptoms vary based on the person injured and the severity of the injury (Kneavel et al., 3). For instance, a weak person may experience unconsciousness upon concussion which might not be the case for a strong person. There are significant symptoms and signs that most concussion exposes to the victims who call for special attention to address. It is good to note that the symptoms or signs of a concussion may develop immediately, after hours, days, or even months after the injury, thus the need to remain cautious. The significant signs of concussion include memory problems, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness/sluggish feelings, double vision/blurred vision, nausea/vomiting, headache, balance problems, and sensitivity to light (Rice et al., 11-16). It is imperative to acknowledge that all the symptoms mentioned above remain enhanced by the fact that concussion affects the brain's normal functioning. To this effect, the brain tends to behave abnormally, which translates to funny and disturbing experiences in the body. However, it is essential to note that balance problems, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness tend to be the most common sign that guides medical practitioners in ranking the level of concussion from grade 1-3 (Rice et al., 13). There are other symptoms that the victim experiences during the recovery period like irritability, sensitivity to light or noise, challenges in concentrating, and mild headache that calls for the implementation of the proper remedy to work on at all times. Understanding the risk factors of concussion is essential as it limits chances of complications in the long run. Concussion through a mild brain injury calls for immediate attention to understand the extent of the injury and address it before too late. In some cases, spinal injuries accompany concussions. What does such a case mean? If the victim is not medically addressed at the right time, there are chances of developing other major complications which may...