5 Reasons to go to the Emergency Room : Concussions
You can only see a concussion through an MRI or CT scan, which means that if your child is suffering from one, you’ll likely have to wait until it clears up naturally—around a week—before making a visit. And with as many as 10 percent of diagnosed concussions leading to second-impact syndrome (SIS), you don’t want your kid taking any chances: SIS occurs when someone who has previously suffered a concussion suffers another brain injury before symptoms of their first have fully disappeared. SIS increases intracranial pressure and can lead to life-threatening complications like bleeding in and around the brain. To avoid all that drama, just get them checked out ASAP.
If you believe you may have sustained a concussion, it is important that you seek immediate medical attention. A concussion can cause short-term memory loss, confusion, headaches and even unconsciousness, but many people recover from concussions with no permanent effects. The only way to know for sure if you have suffered a concussion is to visit your doctor or local hospital’s emergency room. Symptoms of a concussion may be subtle at first but can progress rapidly and become more severe over time. Early treatment can prevent lasting damage and serious complications like bleeding on your brain.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are one of America’s most common—and preventable—accidents. Due to a concussion, at least 1.6 million people visit emergency rooms every year, according to a study in JAMA Neurology. And about 250,000 of these people suffer repeat concussions within 12 months; many occur while playing contact sports like football or hockey. If you think you might have suffered a TBI after an accident or collision, call 911 immediately and head to an emergency room.
