No one plans to get a concussion, but they can happen anytime, anywhere – whether it’s a car accident, a sports-related injury, a fall down the stairs or something else.
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury, and most people recover if they get good care after a concussion. Students have access to the University Health Center Concussion Clinic if they need help diagnosing a concussion and treating symptoms.
The first step is to know the signs of a concussion. Here are 11 symptoms to watch for after a head injury:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sensitivity to light/noise
- Not feeling right or in a fog
- Memory loss right around when the impact happened
- Loss of balance
- Loss of coordination
- Looking dazed or stunned
- Behavior and mood changes
These symptoms can be immediate or delayed. Each person will experience them differently. If you suspect you have a concussion, call 402.472.5000 to schedule an appointment with the Concussion Clinic on campus, staffed by Neuropsychologist Kate Higgins, PsyD.
Most concussions do not require a trip to the emergency room. However, if you experience these red flags of a more serious injury, skip the health center and go straight to the hospital:
- Loss of consciousness
- Headache that persists or gets worse
- Repeated vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Numbness or weakness in arms/legs
- Unusual behavior
- Inability to recognize people or places
- Inability to be awakened
Will a concussion heal itself? Yes
The brain is good at healing itself after a concussion. It takes roughly two to four weeks to recover in most circumstances. There is no magic recipe that can create a faster recovery, but there are several things Dr. Higgins recommends to help you get back on your feet after a head injury:
- Light exercise, without putting yourself at risk of another hit to the head
- Get enough sleep, which is critical to the healing process
- Occupational or physical therapy to retrain systems in the brain
- Reduce the amount of cognitive work in school or at your job
- Let a doctor know if you are feeling any symptoms of anxiety or depression after an incident