Health - Wellness
The First Thing You Should Do After Bumping Your Head
By K. COSSEY
Not all bumps to the head are severe, but they can potentially damage the brain and even give you a concussion. A concussion, officially known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), is a serious type of a head trauma that can happen even if you don't hit your head; intense shaking or rapid head movement can also agitate the brain.
Common physical symptoms of a concussion range from vomiting, headache, and nausea to ringing in the ears, Mayo Clinic reports. Blurry vision and drowsiness may also occur, along with symptoms that can't be seen, such as a feeling of confusion, dizziness, or memory loss — but there are steps you can take to recover.
Never shrug off a bump to the head, and look for signs of a concussion in the moments, hours, or even days following possible head trauma. If the injury occurs while playing sports, the CDC recommends that any concussion sufferers — especially children — be removed from playing immediately to avoid a repeat concussion.
Depending on the injury's seriousness, a concussed person can rest at home or may have to seek urgent medical attention. Concussion danger signs include (even brief) loss of consciousness, slurred speech, repeated vomiting, and headaches that worsen or won't go away; these all warrant a trip to the ER.