How to determine the concussion in an adult and first aid for the injured

1 What happens with

? The term brain concussion refers to a specific impairment of the brain that results from the mechanical trauma of the skull, and in most cases, the basis for the appearance of disorders is a brief disruption in the operation of the intracerebral vascular system. In medical practice, concussion accounts for approximately 70% of head injuries.

Currently, there are 3 main degrees of concussion, each of which differs in different severity of symptoms. With a slight concussion of the brain, the symptomatology, as a rule, is rather weakly expressed. With the average severity of such trauma, pronounced manifestations can be observed, up to a loss of memory. In severe concussion, symptoms can be expressed very significantly, and so much so that often a person needs immediate hospitalization.

Concussion can develop not only in direct, but also with axial injuries of the head. Technically, during a head injury, the brain is stressed about the cranium or an increase in pressure on the brain tissue in one part, which is often accompanied by the appearance of mild signs of brain contusion. Given that the brain is in a special shell filled with cerebrospinal fluid, a slight displacement of the brain is observed in the process of mechanical trauma in the opposite direction from the shock. At the same time, on the opposite side there is a region of low blood pressure, which often causes even greater damage to the brain tissue.

The severity of the symptoms of concussion in many ways depends on how much the brain was injured. It is necessary to take into account the biological component, which significantly aggravates the situation. The thing is that in response to a bruise and the resulting mechanical trauma there is a spasm of the blood vessels, which leads to a change in pressure and a disturbance in the supply of organ tissues with the necessary substances and oxygen. In mild cases of concussion, cerebral circulation disorders can quickly and almost without consequences pass. In severe cases, there is an overflow of vessels located in the brain tissues, with blood, which often causes a slowdown in blood flow. In addition, biochemical changes that can be observed include disruption of communication between the two hemispheres, which is accompanied by a short-term loss of the ability to speak, write and read.

Given that a whole complex of pathological changes takes place in the brain to determine their nature and severity, it is very important to clearly identify all signs of concussion that are present in a particular patient. Often, this is not as easy as it may seem, because some people get injured during alcohol intoxication, as well as attacks of hypertension, exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, accompanied by dizziness and fainting. Falls and head injuries can occur in diseases of the cardiovascular system, which, especially in the elderly, often causes syncope and concussion of the brain.

2 The first signs of the disease

The first symptoms of concussion in adults can have varying degrees of severity. With light concussion, symptoms can appear only 1 hour after the injury and be expressed by nausea, vomiting, headaches and some other symptoms. However, in most cases, patients enter the hospital with an average and severe degree of concussion. For this type of injury is characterized by the presence of an obvious bruise of the soft tissues of the head.

In addition, in approximately 80% of cases, patients lose consciousness during an injury, and fainting can last from a few seconds to half an hour. Another bright manifestation of a tremor is a severe headache, which, as a rule, is localized in the occiput. In addition, pain syndrome can be accompanied by severe nausea and vomiting, which is a consequence of changes in intracranial pressure. These symptoms can significantly increase with a sharp turn of the head. With concussion, the following autonomic and psychiatric disorders can occur:

• apathy;
• lethargy;
• enlargement and narrowing of the pupils;
• disorientation;
• fatigue;
• redness of the face;
• increased sweating;
• photophobia.

When examining the fundus by an ophthalmologist, abnormal vasodilation and narrowing of the vessels and other abnormalities can occur. Some patients experience a slight increase in body temperature and general poor health. In patients with concussion of the brain, there is an increase in blood pressure and tachycardia. With a concussion of moderate severity, the symptomatology can be supplemented with nasal bleeding. With severe concussion, there may be manifestations of amnesia, both full and partial. Often people lose their memories of what happened during the trauma and immediately before it before her. Despite the fact that the concussion is accompanied by sufficiently bright symptoms, fractures of the bones or bleeding, as well as deep biological changes in the brain structures are absent.

In case of severe concussion of the brain directly after the injury, the patient may develop a convulsive syndrome. If the trauma occurred in the evening, and the victim decided to go to bed, most likely, he will be tortured by insomnia or nightmares. These first and rather sharp signs are the consequence of the disruption of the connections and a slight malfunction in the work of the entire organ, and such changes quickly pass. With severe concussion, the most dangerous symptom is the coma, from which the patient leaves in the first 2 days after the injury.

3 Symptoms of a pathology in the absence of treatment

If the patient does not consult a doctor in a timely manner or if the medical help has been rendered inappropriately, concussion can cause serious consequences. The most common remote signs of concussion include headaches. As a rule, pain syndrome in this case has a pronounced character, and often this condition is accompanied by the emergence of heavy thoughts and severe depression. Often, delayed signs of the brain include migraines, which can be provoked by a variety of triggers, including the use of alcohol. Against the background of drinking alcohol or infectious diseases in people who previously suffered a concussion, delusions and even hallucinations can occur.

In addition, there may be a change in the identity of the victim. People who have suffered a concussion are excessively irritable, and even for trivialities. In addition to irritability, there may be marked outbursts of anger and even obvious aggression. Increased emotionality can be expressed by quick temper, fits of rage, etc. Many people have impaired concentration and decreased cognitive abilities. A person can not fully concentrate on work, which leads to new outbursts of irritation. In addition, concussion leads to insomnia.

In some patients after a concussion of the brain, paranoia and irrational fear may develop, and there are no visible causes for such conditions. To the bright deferred symptoms of the experienced tremor may include limb tremors, coordination disorders, memory problems and cognitive disorders.

4 Methods of therapy

Treatment with concussion in the first place involves compliance with complete bed rest. The victim should ensure complete peace. It is especially good if the victim managed to fall asleep, so often the patients are given drugs that help reduce anxiety and cause drowsiness. Sleep pills should be prescribed only by a doctor. As a rule, such drugs are prescribed in tablets and in the form of intravenous injections. Treatment with concussion requires the use of sedatives, for example, drops of valerian, tea with mint or chamomile, Corvalol and decoction of motherwort, since such a remedy will reduce the severity of mental disorders.

In the presence of severe headache, antispasmodic analgesics and analgesics can be used.

Typically, pain relievers are recommended to use the patient to eliminate headaches throughout the treatment period. In severe concussion, funds that improve cerebral circulation, and nootropics are often prescribed.

These medicines are selected by the doctor solely on an individual basis, taking into account the general condition of the patient. As a rule, treatment of concussion continues for at least 2-4 weeks, and at this time the patient needs to adhere to a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, try to stay calm, drink scheduled appointments and follow all the doctor's recommendations. After the normalization of the state, it is desirable to take a course of sanatorium treatment.