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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffPost-concussion symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Loss of concentration and memory
- Noise and light sensitivity
Headaches that occur after a concussion can vary and may feel like tension-type headaches or migraine headaches. Most, however, are tension-type headaches, which may be associated with a neck injury that happened at the same time as the head injury. In some cases, people experience behavior or emotional changes after a mild traumatic brain injury. Family members may notice that the person has become more irritable, suspicious, argumentative or stubborn.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if you experience a head injury severe enough to cause confusion or amnesia — even if you never lost consciousness. If a concussion occurs while you're playing a sport, don't go back in the game. Seek medical attention so that you don't risk worsening your injury.
- Evans RW. Post-concussion syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2011.
- Wright DW, et al. Head trauma in adults and children. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=6388784. Accessed June 1, 2011.
- Jotwani V, et al. Postconcussion syndrome in athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2010;9:21.
- DeLee JC, et al. Head injuries. In: DeLee JC, et al. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1168525515&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..10015-6--s0015&isbn=978-1-4160-3143-7&uniqId=257618564-3. Accessed June 1, 2011.
- Prigatano GP, et al. The current status of postconcussion syndrome. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2011;24:243.
- Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/detail_tbi.htm. Accessed June 4, 2011.
- What you need to know about air bags. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/airbags1.html#1065115450. Accessed July 13, 2011.
- Cicerone KD, et al. Evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation: Updated review of the literature from 2003 through 2008. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2011;92:519.
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