Orian Hullinger, Sean Vergara, and Ivan Plante Concussions Orian Hullinger, Sean Vergara, and Ivan Plante

Causes Concussions are caused when the brain slides around in your head and makes contact with the inner walls of the skull. They are usually caused by a severe blow to the head. Rapid movements of the head forwards or backwards can also cause brain injury. Concussions are common, especially if you play a contact sport.

Description A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that hurts the brain and can change the way it functions.

Prevention Of course, it is important to wear protective headgear when playing sports like football, baseball (when batting), and snowboarding. It is also important to wear a seatbelt when in a car, because if a car stops short or gets into an accident, you could lurch forward and hit your head on the seat in front of you or on the dashboard. It’s also a good idea to inform people about concussion symptoms and encourage them to report concussions, dizziness, headaches, or nausea if they experience them after they sustain a hit to the head.

Symptoms The most common concussion symptoms are headaches, amnesia, and confusion. There are also a multitude of other symptoms one could experience as a result of a concussion. These include vomiting or nausea, “seeing stars,” losing consciousness, acting grumpy, being lethargic, ringing in the ears, or slurred speech. Some symptoms may develop hours or even days after the concussion, including concentration problems, sleeping issues, not smelling and tasting normally, having personality changes, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Treatment Resting, both physically and mentally, is the best way to recover from a concussion. Physically, this means avoiding doing things like playing sports, working out, or working at your job if physical labor is involved. It is very important not to do anything too vigorous if you still have the symptoms of a concussion, because sustaining another concussion becomes more likely if you haven’t yet recovered from the first one. Resting mentally means trying not to do too many things that require a lot of thinking or mental concentration, such as reading, doing a lot of schoolwork, using a computer, or even playing video games. For headaches, a pain reliever like acetaminophen (like Tylenol, which is a brand name that contains acetaminophen as its active ingredient) is good. However, pain relievers like ibuprofen (like Motrin IB) or aspirin can make bleeding in the brain more likely.    When recovering from a concussion, it is best to avoid playing video games and sports.

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Sources Information source: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/basics/definition/con-20019272 Picture sources: https://www.autoliv.com/PublishingImages/ALV-SB%20K12-2009_web.jpg http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Germany-BaN-On-Violent-Videogames-2.jpg http://kaleoonakoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/concussion.png https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000799.htm http://www.menshealth.com/sites/menshealth.com/files/2015/02/headache.jpg http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/388932_Concussion_Info_Grphc_RGB_72_V2-01.jpg http://www.riddell.com/media/catalog/product/r/i/riddell-revolution-speed-classic-adult-quarter_9_3.png https://saveinjuredkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Signs-of-concussion-CIPT.jpg http://www.wonderslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Unusual-Sports-in-The-World.jpeg