Shaking the head and body violently might cause serious damage to the brain. Mild head trauma can cause transient cognitive problems and can occur with or without loss of consciousness. Atlanta concussion treatment can only be done with rest and time. In order for the brain to heal, it needs time to sleep and reduce its workload.
- Head trauma is the leading cause of concussions.
False. A concussion is technically the outcome of a significant acceleration or deceleration of the brain. A concussion can occur even if the victim is not directly struck in the head, so long as enough force is applied to the skull to induce the brain to accelerate.
- A concussion is like a bump on the brain.
Google itself gets this wrong. Still, if you Google “concussion,” you will see the classic image of a bruised brain from the brain striking the interior of the skull.
A “coup contrecoup injury” was the old term for a concussion, which is now considered to be outdated. Injuries to the white matter, located deeper in the brain, are the current idea behind concussions.
- A concussion can be diagnosed or seen on MRI or CT scans.
Nope. Far from it. A concussion is a damage to brain function. Thus, it modifies brain function without altering brain structure. Thus, when a CT scan or MRI is performed, the examiner is typically looking for something more serious than a concussion, such as a bleed, a fracture in the bone of the skull, or true structural damage to the brain.
- Concussion patients are advised to get plenty of sleep.
This is particularly cruel since not only is it false, but it persists in widespread use. Resting for too long can actually slow down the healing process, as has been known for quite some time.
Yes, there was a period when doctors advocated for their patients to get nothing but complete and total rest, especially for the brain. Turn away from the screen. Put down the book! Put down the remote! Stay inside. Wait out your symptoms in total darkness for as long as it takes, and only then should you emerge to try moving around a little bit.
However, it is now known that this procedure, despite its potential to temporarily improve patients’ conditions, may significantly worsen them over the long term. Within the first 48 hours, activities should be confined to alleviating symptoms, as recommended by the most recent international consensus standards.
