Concussions are considered mild traumatic brain injuries. However, the effects of these head injuries can be far from mild. For most patients, concussion symptoms will resolve within a few months as long as they take time to rest and refrain from playing sports until they are healed and feeling back to normal. When multiple concussions are sustained in close succession, however, symptoms may become more severe or persist over a longer period of time.
What are the Symptoms of Multiple Concussions?
Concussion sufferers may experience serious symptoms that interfere with their daily activities, such as:
- – Dizziness/trouble balancing
- – Memory issues
- – Headaches
- – Weakness/numbness
- – Nausea
- – Sleep issues
- – Changes in mood or behavior
In addition to these standard concussion indicators, symptoms of multiple concussions may include significant personality changes and ongoing difficulty with concentration and/or remembering information. In extreme cases, early onset dementia can even develop in patients who have sustained multiple concussions.
A rare but serious condition called second-impact syndrome could also result if one gets a second head injury before healing from a first one. Furthermore, sustaining multiple concussions can increase one’s risk of developing a degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalitis (CTE) later in life.
Symptoms of multiple concussions have the potential to be long lasting and debilitating. Therefore, it is crucial that concussion patients wait to resume athletic activities until they have fully recovered from their first head injury. This will minimize their risk of reinjury, thus preventing their concussion symptoms from worsening, sticking around or contributing to health issues in the future.
See Dr. Gill for Head Injury Diagnosis & Treatment
If you or a family member is showing signs of a concussion, it is time to visit a skilled sports medicine doctor who can provide an accurate diagnosis. If needed, they can develop an individualized concussion management plan. With specialized training in concussion evaluation and treatment, Dr. Timothy Gill is a qualified concussion care provider for people in the Reading, PA area.
If you are seeking treatment, Dr. Gill can usually see you in the office within 24 hours of your concussion, Monday through Friday. To learn more about Dr. Gill’s concussion clinic or to schedule an appointment, call our office today at 610-375-4949. We look forward to offering you superior care so that you can recover from your head injury and return to your normal activities as quickly as possible.
