A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that is often caused by a sudden blow, or impact, jolt or hard shake to the head, or even to the body. Essentially this impact causes your brain to wiggle like Jello inside your skull.

Bouncing Jello: Fun to watch. Bad for your brain.

This type of  head injury can occur via a car accident, a football tackle, a soccer header, being hit by a baseball, in your martial arts class or slipping on ice and hitting your head. It can also be caused by boxing, a friendly neighborhood brawl or even something as reaching high for a library book and having it fall on your head (yes, even nerds can get a concussion).

The impact to your head vibrates your brain inside the skull. This shaking temporarily prevents the brain from working normally. “Temporarily” can range from a short period of time (a Seinfeld rerun) to an extended time frame, such as months.

Some people exhibit obvious symptoms of a concussion (such as passing out or feeling lightheaded), while others do not.

Closed head injury

Symptoms Of A Concussion

The most common concussion symptoms are:

• Passing out (not good)
• If you can’t remember what happened after the injury.
• If you are acting confused such as not remembering the date or asking the same question over and over (and over), slurring your words (without the benefit of alcohol), or not being able to concentrate.
• Feeling lightheaded (many people will see “stars” – and we are not talking Angelina Jolie) or having blurry vision, or experiencing ringing in the ears (like a Metallica concert).
• Some are unable to stand or walk without assistance.
• Additional signs concussion can include a loss of coordination and balance problems (imagine trying to balance while standing on top of a softball – maybe even the same softball that hit you in the head).

A severe blow to the head can cause you to feel nauseous or wanting to vomit without having to watch the Jerry Springer show.

Not all concussions are immediately evident. Also, it is hard to determine if a concussion injury has occurred to a child. If your child has had a head injury, call your doctor, like, right now (I wish my parents had this advice).

There Are Different Levels of  Concussions

You can have a mild concussion. You can also experience post concussion syndrome which are symptoms that occur after your the concussion to your head.

Another severe situation is called closed head injury. In this case there rarely is visible evidence of damage to your skull, but there are traumatic injuries to your brain.

Occasionally a person who has a more serious concussion develops new symptoms over time and feels worse than he or she did before the injury. This is called post-concussive syndrome. If you have symptoms of post-concussive syndrome, call your doctor.

On rare occasions, concussions can cause more serious problems, including traumatic brain injury. Repeated concussions or a severe concussion may require surgery or lead to long-lasting problems with movement, learning, or speaking.

Because of the small chance of permanent brain problems, it is important to contact a doctor if you or someone you know has symptoms of a concussion.