Summary

The web content outlines the author's personal experiences with concussion symptoms and recovery, emphasizing that symptoms may be delayed, recovery is not linear, and symptoms may not be recognized without external input.

Abstract

The article, titled "3 Things You Should Know about Concussion Symptoms and Recovery," discusses the author's insights from their own journey with concussions, highlighting three key points. Firstly, symptoms may not present immediately but can emerge days after the injury. Secondly, the recovery process is unpredictable and may not follow a straight path; rest is often recommended by medical professionals. Lastly, individuals may not immediately recognize their own symptoms and may require someone else to point them out. The author, who has sustained two concussions, shares their challenges with symptoms such as word-finding difficulty, fatigue, and light sensitivity, and the importance of rest and medical guidance in their ongoing recovery.

Opinions

The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing that a concussion's impact may not be immediately apparent and can manifest days after the incident.
The recovery process from a concussion can be uncertain, with best practices not always being clear; the author suggests that when in doubt, rest is the best course of action.
The author indicates that self-awareness of concussion symptoms can be limited, and external observation and guidance are crucial for proper identification and management of these symptoms.
The author suggests that there may be a lack of resources for adults dealing with concussions, especially outside of the context of sports-related injuries in children and teens.
The author expresses a personal struggle with the need for rest versus the desire to be active and engaged, which is a common challenge in concussion recovery.
The author notes the value of medical professionals in identifying symptoms and providing support during the recovery process.

3 Things You Should Know about Concussion Symptoms and Recovery

When a bump on the head isn’t just a bump on the head

Concussion symptoms can be hard to manage. (Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.)

I’ve had two concussions that I know of. Both occurred as an adult, while riding my bike (wearing a helmet, before you ask).

The first time, my rear bike tire slipped on some leaves as I was turning onto the sidewalk, and I went down hard on my right side. My head bounced, gently, on the pavement. I had very mild symptoms and was fine about a month later.

The second time, the car impact threw me about twenty feet. I was unconscious before I hit the ground. I didn’t notice any major symptoms until six days later. And over six years later, I still haven’t fully recovered.

Now that I’ve established my credentials as a Legitimate Concussion Expert, here are three things I’ve learned about concussion recovery.

This helmet prevented my head from cracking open in 2015.

1. You may not start to experience, or notice, concussion symptoms until several days later.

With my first concussion, the next day I was talking to my sister and had trouble finding the words I was looking for. At one point I just stopped in the middle of a sentence.

I called my health insurance’s nurse line and they told me to go to the ER. Fortunately, I was fine, but I did experience mild headaches for about a month. Also fortunately, I didn’t have any word-finding difficulties again.

After my second, more serious concussion, I was somewhat more tired than usual for several days. I didn’t think much of it though — being hit by a car is stressful! Plus, I was physically injured, not able to walk normally. I did just enough work to wrap up a couple projects, and it didn’t feel like too much.

The big symptoms came later.

2. Concussion and brain injury recovery isn’t linear, and the best practices for recovery aren’t always clear. When in doubt, rest.

I’ve spent a lot of time with my eyes closed and my head down in the past six years. (Photo by Abbie Bernet on Unsplash.)

Trying to find out what to expect from my recovery was challenging. My discharge papers from the hospital just urged me to rest and look out for other symptoms.

I didn’t have much capacity for online research, but most of what I found seemed to focus on sports-related injuries in children and teens.

I’ve had more success finding resources recently, but I’m not sure if this is because I’m mentally more present these days, or because there are actually more resources for brain injury patients!

You may hear anecdotally about a “concussion protocol” that says you should lie in a dark room and not listen to music or watch television or do much of anything for several days after a concussion. I recently read that the Mayo Clinic does not recommend this type of treatment. They do recommend not overdoing things.

Basically, this means: Stop whatever you’re doing if you don’t feel well or your symptoms increase. Rest when you need to, how you need to, whenever possible.

Rest speeds your recovery, but it also makes you just feel better in the short term, and will increase your capacity for more activity later.

I find it very difficult to lie still or do nothing for long. I definitely rested in the early days after my second concussion, but I was restless. I was dealing with a lot of difficult emotional processing and a huge change in my life. It was hard to just sit, to not take in information, to acknowledge my condition and not try to avoid it. I’m not gonna say I did a super great job, to be honest.

And it’s still hard now. As I write this, I need to take a break from the screen, and I still have to sternly talk myself into that rest.

3. You may not recognize the symptoms you’re experiencing until someone points them out to you.

According to the CDC, and in my own experience:

After a mild TBI or concussion:

A person may not recognize or admit that they are having problems

A person may not understand how the symptoms they are experiencing affect their daily activities

Problems may be overlooked by the person with the mild TBI or concussion, family members, or healthcare providers

Early on after my second concussion, I was so busy trying to function that I didn’t even notice many of my symptoms until somebody asked me if I was having them.

Medical professionals helped me identify what was going on with my brain and with my body after I was hit by a car. (Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash.)

For example, it was six days later, after my first visit to the doctor after my injury, and after my first conversation with the lawyer I later hired, that I felt my first major cognitive symptoms. Those interactions made me so tired I couldn’t do much but lie on the couch for several hours. I couldn’t focus my eyes and my brain felt foggy.

But if my lawyer hadn’t mentioned, in our call that very day, that concussion symptoms can appear later, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to understand what was happening to me afterward.

Another example: About a week later, I saw my occupational therapist, who was helping me with my injured arm and wrist. She asked if I was sensitive to light, as she knew many people with concussions were. I didn’t think so, but she turned out the overhead light.

I realized pretty quickly that the light had been making me tired. Soon afterward, I started wearing sunglasses everywhere and got a couple of caps to shield my eyes from overhead light.

This CDC chart shows many of the most common concussion symptoms, including headaches, nausea, dizziness, light sensitivity, fatigue, memory issues, feeling foggy or sleepy, and trouble sleeping. If you notice these symptoms in yourself, or other people notice them in you, it’s time to see a doctor.

Have you had a concussion/mTBI? How was recovery for you? Are you dealing with brain injury symptoms now? Tell us about it!

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