Headway’s Action For Brain Injury Week 2016 is focussing on concussion and sport.

What is concussion?

Concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury – a sudden but relatively short time causing loss of mental function.

Concussion is usually caused by a blow to the head and the harder the impact the greater the level of loss of function. You do not have to loose consciousness to have concussion.

What are the symptoms of concussion?

Symptoms of concussion range from mild to severe depending on the nature of the injury.

There are a number of common symptoms relating to concussion including:

• confusion
• headache
• dizziness
• memory loss

Less common symptoms include:

• loss of consciousness
• slurred speech
• inappropriate emotions such as suddenly bursting into tears

Some people recover in a few hours whilst others may take a number of weeks . In rare cases concussion may lead to more serious complications and repeated concussions may lead to long term damage.

In light of the small chance of complications from concussion it is important to seek medical advice.

Watch Headway’s video about concussion awareness in sport.