Concussion is the least serious type of traumatic brain injury.
The most common causes of concussion are a direct blow or bump to the head. A concussion can often be difficult to diagnose as although there may (or may not) be a cut bruise or graze on the head you cannot 'see' a concussion. First Aid for concussions is taught on the
paediatric first aid course but is not covered on the
emergency first aid or
first aid at work course.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion include:
Loss of memory (around what happened)
difficulty concentrating
headache
blurred vision
nausea and vomiting
Symptoms can come on immediately or days and weeks after the injury occurred.
One of the risk factors for concussion is a history of previous concussion and it is important to follow whatever advice you are given for recovering from otherwise you risk making the situation worse and delaying recovery.
Someone who has suffered a head injury (or anyone tasked to keep an eye on them) should watch out for deteriorating symptoms and should be advised to call 999 A&E if this happens.
In sports vital to take a head injury seriously and remove the player from the game until you are sure they are better. Do not rely on the the player telling you they feel better. An ESPN survey reported that 33% of college football players had lied about their concussion in order to continue playIng!
