What Are the Symptoms of a Concussion?
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What Are the Symptoms of a Concussion?

What Are the Symptoms of a Concussion?
Everyday Health
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Updated on March 24, 2022
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A concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), happens when a blow or jolt to the head or body causes the brain to move rapidly back and forth inside the skull. Concussions are considered a “mild” brain injury because they usually aren’t fatal. In many cases, the symptoms tend to be mild and go away on their own within 1 to 6 weeks, but sometimes they can be more severe and last much longer.

The symptoms may also cause other complications, including post-concussion syndrome, which is characterized by headaches and dizziness that will not go away; post-traumatic vertigo, or dizziness that accompanies movement; and second impact syndrome, which happens when a second concussion occurs before the first one has had time to completely heal.

Signs of a Concussion

A concussion can impact a person’s balance, muscle coordination, speech, reflexes, and judgment. People may also experience brief periods of amnesia or forgetfulness, or they may report feeling dazed or like they are “seeing stars.”

Common symptoms include:

  • Confusion
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Double or blurry vision
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Memory loss
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Loss of smell or taste
  • Trouble falling asleep
Illustrative graphic titled How Concussion Affects the Body shows, headache, slurred speech, nausea, weakness, trouble waking, loss of balance, vision problems and confusion. Everyday Health logo at bottom left
Any of these symptoms can be a sign of a concussion.Everyday Health

Symptoms of a Concussion in Children

Concussions can impact emotional and cognitive abilities, and kids are more likely than adults to display behavioral symptoms like irritability, drowsiness, and insomnia.

 Kids may have a concussion even when they don’t complain of a headache. Children may also experience memory loss and confusion. They may, for example, appear alert and walk around right after they sustain a concussion, but then forget what happened later when asked to describe their injury. Post-traumatic amnesia is typically short-lived, but it may happen more often in kids and last longer than it does in adults.
Infants and toddlers who have a concussion may stop nursing or eating foods they would normally enjoy.

 Young children may also stop playing with toys, appear listless, cry excessively, or become less steady on their feet.

Symptoms of a Concussion in Adults

Compared with children, adults tend to have more physical concussion symptoms, such as balance problems, fatigue, and headache.

 Adults may also struggle with daily tasks that they managed easily prior to their concussion. Symptoms can also surface several days after a concussion, especially when under stress at home or at work.

How a Concussion Is Diagnosed

There is no set test to diagnose a concussion. Rather, your doctor will ask you a series of questions about the events leading up to your head injury, as well as about your symptoms.

Your doctor may also perform a neurological exam to check your hearing, vision, balance, strength, coordination, and reflexes, as well as a cognitive exam to test your memory, concentration, and ability to recall information.

 You’ll also be asked if there have been any changes to your mood, sleep, or behavior.
Imaging tests, such as a computerized tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging, usually aren’t needed to diagnose a concussion. However, these tests may be in order if serious complications, such as brain swelling, bleeding inside the skull, or a spinal cord injury, are suspected.

When to See a Doctor for a Concussion

Anyone who has a head injury and experiences a headache or other symptoms should consult with a doctor. When a patient has bad headaches, repeated vomiting, difficulty using their arms or legs, worsening sleepiness, or confusion, they should see a doctor or go to the emergency room right away.

Even when emergency medical care isn’t required, a child or adult who experiences a head injury should see a doctor within a day or two. And if symptoms develop or worsen later, it’s important to follow up with a doctor or seek emergency care.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Attention

In rare concussion cases, bleeding within the skull can occur. The accumulated blood may then push against the brain, causing a range of potential neurological symptoms. If any of the following symptoms are observed right after a concussion, the patient needs to go to the emergency room right away:

  • Headache that gets worse and does not go away
  • Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
  • Repeated vomiting or nausea
  • Slurred speech
  • Looks very drowsy or cannot wake up
  • Has one pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other
  • Has convulsions or seizures
  • Cannot recognize people or places
  • Gets more and more confused, restless, or agitated
  • Displays unusual behavior
  • Loses consciousness
A child who hits their head or body in a way that might cause a concussion should go to the emergency room immediately if they experience any of the following symptoms:

  • Any of the danger signs for adults listed above
  • Will not stop crying and is inconsolable
  • Will not nurse or eat

Additional reporting by Ashley Welch

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Samuel Mackenzie, MD, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Samuel Mackenzie, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Child Neurology, Neuromuscular Disease, and Neuroscience at University of Rochester Medical Center. He completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University before earning a master's degree in exercise science at the University of Delaware and his MD and PhD degrees at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He completed residency in child neurology at the University of Michigan and fellowship in neuromuscular medicine at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Dr. Mackenzie's research interests broadly involve developing new ways to restore motor function in patients with neurological disease and developing gene-based treatments for patients with neuromuscular conditions. He also has an interest in health policy and advocacy, specifically as these relate to how scientific discoveries can best be leveraged for societal good in an equitable and cost-effective manner.

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Lisa Rapaport

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Lisa Rapaport is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience on the health beat as a writer and editor. She holds a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and spent a year as a Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan. Her work has appeared in dozens of local and national media outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg, WNYC, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, The Sacramento Bee, and The Buffalo News.
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Resources
  1. Concussions. Mayo Clinic.
  2. Concussion. American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
  3. Concussion 101: Children Versus Adults. Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center.
  4. Concussion. Cleveland Clinic.
  5. Concussions. Mayo Clinic.
  6. Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  7. Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additional Sources