Concussion and mild brain injury
After a head knock, there may not be loss of consciousness but often there is, with amnesia around the time of the event. When the head is hit hard enough to cause inflammatory changes in the brain, various symptoms are experienced. These may include:
Fatigue, dizziness, loss of usual sleep patterns, headaches, loss of exercise tolerance, difficulty concentrating, difficulty processing visual information ( e.g. reading or multiple images such as in supermarket environments) etc.. Fatigue may occur suddenly when the brain becomes 'overloaded' or 'overwhelmed'. These symptoms are worsened by anxiety.
Symptoms similar to those after concussion may be apparent with other forms of mild injury , such as after a seizure, or prolonged chronic stress and fatigue.
A consultation with a neurologist may be considered appropriate by your own doctor (GP) where the cause of mild brain injury symptoms is not clear.
Fatigue, dizziness, loss of usual sleep patterns, headaches, loss of exercise tolerance, difficulty concentrating, difficulty processing visual information ( e.g. reading or multiple images such as in supermarket environments) etc.. Fatigue may occur suddenly when the brain becomes 'overloaded' or 'overwhelmed'. These symptoms are worsened by anxiety.
Symptoms similar to those after concussion may be apparent with other forms of mild injury , such as after a seizure, or prolonged chronic stress and fatigue.
A consultation with a neurologist may be considered appropriate by your own doctor (GP) where the cause of mild brain injury symptoms is not clear.
Rehabilitation
In New Zealand if your concussion is covered by ACC, you may be referred to an ACC-approved concussion service for rehabilitation. If, however, this is not available to you, or if you still have symptoms after discharge from a concussion service, we can help.
