What is concussion ?
It is important to understand what is
Your brain is protected by your scalp and the bones of the
If you get hit hard, sudden jolt or are shaken forcefully, your brain can bounce around inside and be bruised by the hard bone of your skull. This can cause a bruise in the brain, and damage to nerve
But it is not like a bruise you can see or use to, it is a trauma as resulting in traumatic unnatural forces being applied to the brain nerves and blood vessels.
At a nerve cell
When there is a sufficient blow to the brain, the membranes of the affected nerve cells in the brain are stretched or twisted, allowing potassium to exit those cells, which triggers those cells to depolarize, thus the phenomenon of seeing stars if the affected area is involved with sight or ringing in the ears if the affected area is involved with hearing. The exit of potassium (K+) peaks approximately two minutes after the incident but continues for another 3-4 minutes.
Then, until the chemical balance is somewhat restored, those neurons (nerve cells) are unable to fire again. Furthermore, in a protective reflex of sorts, surrounding cells begin to shut down, a process Hovda calls “spreading depression.”
If enough cells become depressed, confusion, amnesia, and even loss of consciousness can result.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to recover, the brain starts using up massive amounts of blood sugar and will continue to do so for as long as 30 minutes. This overuse of this glucose results in the production of lactic acid which, in excess amounts, inhibits brain function.
A demand for glucose by the brain, such as when one is studying, logically causes an increase in blood flow to the brain. However for reasons not entirely clear, within two minutes of a concussion, the body decreases blood flow to the brain by up to 50 percent. This process continues unabated for 3-4 days but fully normal blood flow may not resume until an average of 10 days
Meanwhile, the exit of potassium allows calcium to enter the neuron. And while the exit of potassium ceases in minutes, it takes the cell 2-4 days to rid itself of the energy-inhibiting calcium.
While the immediate chemical reaction of the brain to the concussion is brief and generally completed in 30 minutes, it takes days for the individual cell and the brain as a whole to restore that chemical balance which was lost so quickly. Until that balance is restored, the brain doesn’t work as well and is particularly vulnerable to re-injury.
Although not usually life-threatening, a concussion can have serious effects. Most people with mild injuries make a complete recovery, but it’s important to seek medical attention and to allow enough time for the healing process.
Sports activity is the most common cause of concussion or mild head trauma this list shows the activities that cause the
These sports and recreational activities result in the most head injuries treated in emergency rooms,
1. Bicycling pleasure, road and mountain bike
2. Football- league, union, soccer and Australian rules
3. Baseball and softball
4. Basketball
5. Water sports, such as diving, surfing, water skiing, and others
6. Off-road sports on powered recreational vehicles such as ATVs and go-karts
7. Soccer
8. Skateboarding and scootering
9. Accidents in gyms and health clubs
10. Winter sports (skiing, sledding, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and others)
11. Horse related activities
But a sudden uncontrolled fall can cause a concussion as the brain is
All concussion should be checked out by a medical professional such as a doctor and time must be given for the brain to recover.
“I cannot believe how relaxed my neck and shoulders feel…….” J