There is no specific cure for concussion. Rest and restrictive activities allow the brain to recover. This means that one should temporarily reduce sports, video games, television, or socialize too much. Headache medicines, ondansetron, or other anti-nausea medicines may be used to treat symptoms.
Mild traumatic brain injuries usually don't require treatment other than rest and over-the-counter pain relievers to treat headaches. However, a person with a mild traumatic brain injury usually needs to be closely monitored at home for any persistent, worsening, or new symptoms. You can also have follow-up appointments with your doctor. A mild traumatic brain injury, sometimes called a concussion, may not require specific treatment other than rest.
However, it is very important to follow a health care provider's instructions to fully rest and slowly return to normal activities after a mild traumatic brain injury. If a person returns to normal activities too soon and begins to experience the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, the healing process can take much longer. Certain activities, such as working at a computer and focusing a lot, can tire the brain even though they aren't physically demanding. A person with a concussion may need to reduce these types of activities or take frequent breaks to let the brain rest.
For mild traumatic brain injury, the main treatment is rest. If you have a headache, you can try taking over-the-counter pain relievers. It is important to follow your health care provider's instructions to get full rest and gradually return to normal activities. If you start doing it too soon, it may take longer to recover.
Contact your provider if your symptoms do not improve or if you have new symptoms. People with mild to moderate TBI may only need minimal treatment. Your care may involve a short period of rest from sports, school, or work. Symptoms should improve within a few weeks.
Learn all you can about TBI. Share what you learn with friends and family. Tell your health care team about all your symptoms. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur in a variety of situations.
And everyone is at risk, especially children and older adults. Approximately 75 percent of TBIs (or 3 of each) that occur each year are mild. If a person has the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury after a blow to the head, then the brain has been injured. Mild TBIs always involves some degree of brain injury.
A medical examination is the first step in diagnosing a possible brain injury. The evaluation usually includes a neurological exam. This test evaluates thinking motor function (movement), sensory function, coordination, eye movement, and reflexes. If you have a head injury, seek immediate medical attention.
The FDA has not approved any device that can evaluate or diagnose traumatic brain injury without evaluation by a health care provider. Remember, if you have any questions about a possible brain injury, talk to your health care provider. If you have a moderate or severe injury, your doctor will start by stabilizing your injury. This involves getting oxygen to the brain and body, maintaining blood flow, and controlling blood pressure.
These precautions help prevent further damage. You may receive medicine in the hospital or need surgery. A surgeon can repair a skull fracture, stop bleeding in the brain, remove blood clots, or relieve pressure inside the skull. Sometimes blood clots take time to form and surgery is needed days or weeks after the injury.
Treatments for traumatic brain injury depend on many factors, including the size, severity, and location of the brain injury. When you receive a violent and severe blow to the head, your brain may experience changes in the use of chemicals and energy as a way to compensate for the injury. This 15-point test helps a doctor or other emergency medical personnel assess the initial severity of a brain injury by checking the person's ability to follow instructions and move the eyes and limbs. Additional treatments in a hospital emergency room or intensive care unit will focus on minimizing secondary damage due to inflammation, bleeding, or reduced oxygen supply to the brain.
A number of strategies can help a person with traumatic brain injury cope with complications that affect everyday activities, communication, and interpersonal relationships. The specifics of treatment, including type, environment, and duration, depending on the severity of the injury and the area of the brain that was injured. In particular, these scans can detect bleeding that resulted from the traumatic injury, which requires immediate medical or surgical attention. For example, if the injury affected the part of the brain involved in speech, you may need speech therapy.
The severity of the head injury is determined by several different factors, such as loss of consciousness, certain neurological symptoms that occurred at the time of the injury, loss of memory of the injury and time around it, and abnormalities in CT of the head or brain MRI. But testing these FDA-regulated medical devices can help healthcare providers rule out some of the most serious brain injuries. Emergency care for moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries focuses on ensuring that the person has enough oxygen and an adequate blood supply, maintaining blood pressure, and preventing any further injury to the head or neck. Many people recover from a TBI in a matter of days and the most severe forms can cause permanent brain injury or even death.
A mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a sudden jolt to the head that causes a temporary change in the way the brain works.
