Recovering After a Concussion

Recovering After a Concussion

A recent study was published on the recovery time following a concussion, and the numbers might surprise some people. When individuals and families discuss traumatic brain injuries, they often talk about strokes, brain bleeds, and skull fractures; however, even a concussion is classified as a TBI. A traumatic brain injury is any blow to the head that causes a change in the brain’s function from its baseline. This means that a significant number of brain injuries might go undetected. These fears and worries were echoed by figures that were recently published by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the leading academic medical centers in the world. Their numbers showed that:

• Around 3 million people sustain concussions on an annual basis.
• About 10 percent of these come from playing football.
• Close to 50 percent of all concussion go either unreported or undetected.
• About 20 percent of all athletes in high school will suffer a concussion at some point during their career.
• Some of the most common sports that pose concussion risks include football, soccer, and lacrosse.
• Other common ways that people suffer concussions include auto accidents, slip, and fall injuries, and even physical assault.

Per their website, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center treats more than 17,000 people for concussions every year.

Symptoms of a Concussion

When people think about concussions, they often think of injuries sustained in football, soccer, and other sports; however, concussions can happen in many different ways. These include:

• Colliding with the window, windshield, or dashboard in an auto accident
• Falling from a motorcycle or bicycle in a serious collision
• Slipping and falling on a wet floor or icy sidewalk
• Taking a tumble down the stairs

One of the challenges of making a concussion diagnosis is that the symptoms vary widely from person to person. Even though individuals often associate a concussion with a brief loss of consciousness, this isn’t always the case. Some of the other symptoms of a concussion include:

• Difficulty handling bright lights and loud noises
• Irritability, mood swings, and emotional lability
• Nagging headaches that simply won’t go away
• Trouble remembering simple items such as dates and times
• Taking longer to complete straightforward tasks

Anyone who has suffered a serious blow to the head should be evaluated by a medical professional. Once a concussion has been diagnosed, the recovery process can be significant. It is vital for everyone to understand not to push the recovery process and give their brain time to heal.

Returning to Work or School After a Concussion

Numerous studies have been published regarding the recovery time after a concussion. Ultimately, every concussion is different so the recovery time will vary. Anyone looking to return to work or school after a concussion needs to progress in a stepwise fashion. Most importantly, nobody should progress to the next step before completing the current step without symptoms. This means free from headaches, irritability, forgetfulness, and pain. Some of these steps include:

• No Activity: This means no bright lights or loud noises. Anyone with symptoms needs to start with complete cognitive rest.
• Light Activity: The next step is to progress to simple housework. Get out of bed, walk around, but try to refrain from electronics or excessive mental stimulation.
• Daily Routine: Individuals can progress to reading a book, watching TV, or even driving around town.
• Return to Work and School: Finally, individuals are able to return to work or school and resume their everyday life.

This is only one model for a concussion recovery protocol. During this healing process, it is important for everyone to take it slowly so that they can give their head time to recover.

Watch YouTube Video: Recovering from a Concussion. This following video shows what it takes for a young athlete to fully recover from a concussion.

Contacting a Brain Injury Lawyer

Those who suffer a concussion might not realize it until hours or days later. Not every concussion leads to a loss of consciousness; however, the recovery process could be significant. This can leave an individual with problems returning to work or school. It is normal for families to have questions and it can be helpful to speak with a traumatic brain injury lawyer in San Francisco. Some of the resources that a trained injury attorney can provide include:

• Acting as a trained professional who can assist families in making difficult, objective decisions that can help with their recovery.
• Pursuing damages that are related to the traumatic brain injury, its complications, and any emotional distress.
• Reviewing records of the accident to make sure that none of the details have been missed.
• Shifting a case to trial when necessary.

No family should ever have to face such a difficult time alone. Reach out to a Bay Area brain injury lawyer today. You and your family might receive a substantial settlement.

Brain Injury Lawyers in San Francisco