Signs, symptoms and the degree of concussion of the brain in adults and children. What to do when concussing the brain. Treatment of brain concussion in the hospital and at home. Consequences of brain concussion

Brain concussion is one of the most frequent brain injuries. Despite the fact that it is the most "light" among these injuries, it is impossible to underestimate the brain's concussion. You can get such an injury anywhere - at home, on the street, at work, in the store, etc. A brain concussion can occur not only with the right impact of the head of a solid surface, but also when falling on the buttocks, for example. It is for this reason that fractures, bruises and other body damage are frequent "satellites" of brain concussion. In this article, we will deal in how to recognize the brain's concrete in an adult or child, in what situation it is impossible to slow down with the appeal to the doctor, what to do with a shock of the brain, what to drink when a brain shake, what drugs are being treated with a brain and find out whether it is necessary at all It is treated.

Concussion of the brain in an adult or baby - what it is

A concussion of the brain is a common cranopy and brain injury characterized by "shaking" of a soft substance (brain) inside the cranial box. Usually it happens when falling and hitting heads about a solid surface. Depending on what kind of force was a hit, and will depend on the severity of the symptoms of concussion. The human brain is an incredibly complex and amazing organ. Scientists did not fully figure out what exactly happening in the brain at the time of the shock. In the brain, the following processes may occur at the time of injury:

• loss of communication between neurons;
• short-term spasm of vessels, which is why there is a violation of the brain power;
• temporary loss or disorders between the cerebral cortex and other structures of the brain;
• increased pressure inside the cranial box;
• temporary change in the direction of the movement of the liquor;
• there is a slight displacement of brain tissue layers;
• temporary changes in the brain at the molecular level.

Thus, the main distinguishing feature of such a cranial injury as a concussion of the brain is that all changes in the brain at the time of injury are reversible and no morphological changes in any brain departments occur. If such changes are still confirmed, this is no longer concussion, and the other, more serious, cranial injury.

How to determine the concussion of the brain

What is the usual person to know how to determine the brain shake? After all, only doctors should be engaged in this issue. But agree that the knowledge of some signs of concussion will help not miss this injury. So, imagine that a person fell and hit his head. To suspect his brain concussion on the following signs:

• after hitting the head of man lost consciousness. Depending on the severity of injury, the loss of consciousness can last from the pair of seconds to the pair of minutes. In severe situations, a person can go to whom;
• after hitting the head, a person will not recognize familiar people for him, cannot call his name, cannot remember some events that took place before the fall. Doctors determine the severity of the brain's concussion in the segment of the time, which "fell" from the memory of a person. The more events he cannot remember, the more powerful changes in the brain were;
• after hitting the head of man is difficult to concentrate the glance, it feels pain when moving the eyeballs;
• after hitting the head of a person tears or nauseous;
• after hitting the head of a person for a long time feels pain in the occipital part of the head;
• after hitting the head of a man for a long time feels weakness, dizziness, has sleep disorders;
• after hitting the head, blood pressure can increase or decrease, the pulse can also be both elevated and reduced.

If at least one of the signs listed above is present in a person after falling, hit head, then with a large share of the probability he can have a concussion of the brain. It is not worth pulling with the appeal to a qualified doctor.

Concussion of the brain - where and when it can wait danger

Get a concussion of the brain can be obtained more often than you think. We are torn the dangers literally at every step. Light cranial injury can be easily "earned" in the following situations:

• under the influence of alcohol. It is no secret that people "under the degree" often cannot keep the balance, fall, cause injury. A concussion of the brain is one of the most common injuries in such situations, the diagnosis of which is significantly complicated if the person is drunk. You can easily confuse the symptoms of a shock with the "normal" behavior of a drunken man;
• during sports. In order to get a concussion of the brain, it is not necessary to engage in extreme sports. You can just get a blow to the ball on the head while playing volleyball;
• during ice. In winter, as a rule, the number of patients with various injuries of the head is significantly increased, including with concussions of the brain. Recall that it is possible to "shake" the brain without directly hitting your head. A strong fall on the buttocks can also trigger the occurrence of a light cranial injury;
• while driving on a car or on another transport. You can get a concussion of the brain with a sharp braking of the vehicle. Children who are not particularly susceptible to such injury, which, despite all safety rules, are not fastened by the safety belt, are not sitting in car seats, etc.

As you already understood, you can get a concussion of the brain very easily. It is very important to explain to children that any blows on the head during games are simply unacceptable.

Brain concussion - symptoms

In order to give the victim in time, it is very important to know the most frequent symptoms when concussing the brain. Depending on the state of health, from individual features, these symptoms can manifest themselves to different degrees or not to appear at all. So, the symptoms of the brain shaking are:

• nausea or vomiting - the most frequent "satellites" of concussion;
• confusion of consciousness;
• coordination violation;
• feeling of significant discomfort from bright light or loud sound;
• "memory losses;
• loss of consciousness for a while. If the loss of consciousness after hitting the head lasts more than 6 hours, most likely any irreversible processes in the brain have happened, coma may come;
• pain after making head when eye movement;
• extended or narrowed pupils, different size of the pupils of both eyes;
• drowsiness;
• excessive activity and energy;
• convulsions;
• violations of speech;
• increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• pale skin chips or redness.

It is worth noting that the temperature when concussing the brain does not increase or increases slightly.

Baby's concussion

Signs of brain concussion from a child

Among the SCMT, the concussion of the brain in children is diagnosed in more than 90% of cases. What is it connected with? We can distinguish a number of reasons why children get a concussion of the brain:

• bad coordination in children of nursery and preschool age. Children are excessively active, very curious and completely unfamiliar to the feeling of fear. The usual fall of the kid in the sandbox can turn into a light shape of the cranial injury;
• features of the body structure in childhood. The head in children "outrests" them during fall, pulls down, and take a safe position during the fall, children still do not know. This is another important cause of injury in childhood;
• syndrome "Shake Child". Children can get an easy brain injury during intensive swing on their hands, throwing into the air, which only seems harmless and cheerful pampings;

• parental mistakes. Unfortunately, a huge amount of brain concussion in children could not be if adults did not leave kids unattended, they did not leave "for a minute." Children often fall from the bed, from the changing table, fall out of wheelchairs, out of beds, etc.

As for the clinical picture of the brain concussion in childhood, it is not very different from the symptoms of a similar injury in adults. The main difference is the difficulty in diagnosing. Children of school and preschool ages often do not report their falls, and it is very problematic that is very problematic. Consider the main symptoms of concussion of the brain in children:

• sleep disorders;
• capriciousness and plasticity;
• jumping in babies, nausea, vomiting;
• pallor skin;
• loss of consciousness for short time;
• temporary blindness, the reason for which scientists have not yet established;
• sweating;
• loss of appetite;
• nervousness.

Another very important feature of the brain concussion in children is that any symptoms may immediately be absent after hitting head or after a strong fall, and appear after a while.

Treatment of brain concussion at the child

How to assist when concussing the brain from a child? If the kid got his head injury, fell, then call an ambulance to assess its condition needed in the shortest possible time. Before the arrival of the doctor, you need to calm the child, put it on the side, any ways to try to limit its motor activity. If the child has a wound on his head, then you need to stop the blood and impose a sterile bandage. Also, a very important point is that the child cannot be filled with 2-3 hours after the injury of the head or fall. If the child was still hospitalized into the hospital with a diagnosis of brain concussion, then it will be treated with the following drugs (in light cases, drug treatment may not be needed):

• diuretic drugs;
• preparations for maintaining potassium levels;
• antihistamines;
• soothing;
• anesthetic drugs;
• nootropic drugs.

After extracting home, the child will register the course of treatment, which will need to follow. Usually advised to take at home vitamins and nootropic drugs if necessary.

The degree of concussion of the brain

Depending on the severity of the concussion of the brain, 3 degrees of this cranial injury are distinguished:

• easy degree of concussion brain. This degree is characterized by a short-term loss of consciousness no more than 5 minutes. A person comes "Norma" after 20 minutes. If there was no loss of consciousness with an easy concussion, then people don't even pay attention to it;
• the average degree of concussion of the brain. This degree is characterized by loss of consciousness no more than 15 minutes. After fainting, the victim preserves disorientation in space, a violation of some functions. Appeal to the doctor of the victim with the average degree of concussion of the brain necessarily;
• heavy degree of concussion of the brain. This degree is characterized by loss of consciousness, which lasts more than 20 minutes. Disorientation in space, amnesia, disturbed motility and other shock symptoms are preserved for a long time after the injury of the head or fall. At this stage there may be a coma. Appeal to the doctor with a hard degree of concussion.

Of course, only the doctor is engaged in the definition of one or another degree of concussion of the brain. The severity of this cranial injury depends on the duration of the loss of consciousness, from the presence or absence of convulsion, from the amount of the time interval that "fell" from the person's memory.

First aid by concussion

What kind of first help can we independently have a victim with a concussion of the brain? Consider an exemplary algorithm of your actions:

• if a man hit his head and lost consciousness, then you can't know for sure, shaking this or more heavy cranial injury. The first thing to do is cause a team of emergency medical care;
• put a person on the right side, bent the left leg and left hand. This is necessary in order for the victim in case of vomiting, it does not choke with the lots of vomit;
• disseminate collar, remove the tie, secure free access of fresh air;
• if there are bleeding wounds on the head or on other parts of the body, the blood needs to stop and impose a sterile bandage;
• at the place of bruises to attach ice;
• follow the pulse and the pressure of the victim, if there is such an opportunity;
• do not let the victim hitting ambulance;
• remove the sources of loud sound, bright light, as this can bring significant discomfort to a person with a concussion of the brain;
• if the respiratory stop occurred before the emergency arrival, then start spending cardiovascular resuscitation immediately.

Brain concussion diagnostics

An experienced doctor can determine the concussion of the brain in several symptoms. In complex and ambiguous situations, the doctor will appoint a number of studies to confirm or eliminate more heavy cranial injuries. You can recognize the concussion of the brain after inspecting the victim and after his answers to some questions:

• there is a sense of tension in the occipital part of the head;
• whether the victim retains the equilibrium in the pose of Romberg (legs together, the hands are raised parallel to the floor, the eyes are closed);
• can a victim, without any problems, focus a look, follow the subject;
• whether the asymmetry of some reflexes is present;
• in the normal state there are pupils from the victim;
• whether there is no pain, discomfort when movement of the eyes.

A concussion of cerebrals in infants, children of preschool and younger school ages can confirm the presence of nausea, vomiting, rapid or slow motion pulse, pallority, drowsiness or excessive activity, frequent joins, sleep disorders and plasticity. If the doctor doubts the correctness of the diagnosis, the following studies can be appointed:

• x-ray head;
• when concussing the MRI or CT brain is the most frequently used examination methods;
• Cerebral ultrasound;
• study of the Eye DNA;
• spinal puncture;
• EEG;
• Ultrasound vessels of the head.

How to treat brain concussion in adult

Treatment of brain concussion at home

If you decide to treat the concussion of the brain, then in any case, the permission to this should give you a doctor. Typically, this is allowed if the degree of concussion of the brain is lightning, and the well-being of the victim after the injury or fall is improving every day, the symptoms disappear. The doctor can give the following recommendations for the treatment of brain shake at home:

• compliance with beddown;
• emotional peace;
• restriction of physical activity;
• it is not recommended to listen to music through headphones, watch TV, play video games;
• power must be light and nutritious with a limited salt content;
• you can drink herbal teas, sedative herbal fees;
• if headaches occur periodically, then acceptance of the analgesic drugs is possible.

But do not forget that even a light brain concussion is a crank-brain injury that can remind itself after months or even years. Be sure to see the doctor to select the optimal course of treatment.

Brain concussion treatment in hospital

If the doctor considers it necessary to hospitalize the victim with a concussion of the brain, it is impossible to refuse in any case. The main purpose of the treatment of brain concussion in an adult in a stationary office is observation and relief of the symptoms of injury. The following types of drugs can be appointed in the hospital with a brain shaking:

• package preparations (Ketorol, Baratgin, Analgin, Pentalgin). After concussing the patient's brain, rather strong headaches may be disturbed, migraine. Analgesic drugs are designed to facilitate the patient's condition;

• sedable preparations (Valerian, Motherboard, Corvalol). In the treatment of brain concussion, it is very important to observe the bed regime, it is necessary to limit physical activity in a relaxed atmosphere;

• tranquilizers (nosheps, phenozepam). This group of drugs when concussing the brain is required if, after injury, a person is too excited if he has strong sleep disturbances, bother nightmares, etc;

• diuretic preparations (diakarb, arithon). This medication group is designed to remove excess fluid from the body, as well as for the prevention of the formation of the brain edema;

• anticonvulsant preparations (ethosuximide, trimetadion). Preparations of this group are usually prescribed to patients with a serious degree of concussion of the brain. With such injury, convulsions can often occur;

• antiemetics (Reglan, Motilium). If cramps usually occur in severe concussion, then vomiting - this is the most frequent symptom, even with a light concussion in both adults and children;

• nootropics (Glycine, Piracetam). Drugs in this group are designed to improve blood circulation in the brain tissue, to improve the metabolic processes in the brain. Usually prescribe them to patients with moderate or severe degree concussion;

• vasotropic preparations (Aktovegin) usually always administered to patients with brain concussion receiving nootropics. Vazotropy need treat problems of the vascular system. After concussion some vascular wall may thicken or thinner, can be formed thrombi, etc.

The decision on the admission of a particular drug in a hospital takes the physician on the basis of the degree of concussion, the survey results. It may be that the tablets of the brain and does not need when it is shaken. In addition, the patient may prescribe vitamin complexes, which will help speed up the healing process. If the patient is not observed complications, the estimated time spent with brain concussion in the hospital about one week, after which the patient is discharged home, prescribed a number of drugs prescribed mode. After hospitalization with brain concussion re-examined after a certain time by a neurologist, internist required.

The consequences of concussion

concussion of the brain, even in mild can have a number of implications for humans. The most common ones are:

• headache within 1-2 weeks after the concussion;
• light attacks of vertigo;
• difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness;
• sleep disturbances.

If these symptoms persist after 2-4 weeks after the concussion, be sure to contact your doctor for re-examination, to prevent possible complications.

Complications concussion

The brain is not completely understood. It is for this reason that even the slight concussion can "recall" itself over time rather dangerous complications. Here are some of them:

• unexplained outbreaks of aggression and nervous excitability;
• inadequate response to alcohol;
• poor coordination, unsteady gait;
• memory problems;
• fast fatiguability;
• sweating;
• hot flashes;
• sudden blood pressure fluctuations;
• seizures;
• depression, neurosis, phobia.

Some of the above complications are treatable, but others may be irreversible.

If after hitting his head, falling from a height, head injury appeared some symptoms, then in any case, do not ignore these "bells" of the organism. Especially worth consideration for a similar condition in children. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!