This article is about the ways to treat a concussion. A concussion is a kind of disturbing brain injury that is caused by bluster to the head or body due to a fall or something like that. Basically, it is caused by an injury that jars or shakes the brain contained by the skull. Although there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other noticeable signs of a brain injury. It’s essential to know that after a concussion the brain is more susceptible to injury. So, while you are getting better, be sure to keep yourself away from activities that might harm you again. Brain is a delicate organ that is enclosed by spinal fluid and sheltered by your hard skull. Usually, the fluid around your brain works like a cushion that keeps your brain from banging into the skull. But, if your head or your body is smacked hard, your brain can collide into your skull and get hurt. Read the article to know about the ways to treat a concussion.
Causes of Concussion:
- Fall
- Fight
- Accident
- Car Crash
- Playground Injuries
Symptoms of Concussion:
Contents
Ways to Treat a Concussion:
1.) Ice Compress to Treat a Concussion
Inflammation can be reduced if ice is applied to the head injury. The skin could be injured if ice is directly applied onto the scalp so it should not be done. The ice should be wrapped into a towel or wash-cloth before applying. A bag of frozen vegetables like peas can also be used. Every two to three hours,you should apply the ice and it should remain applied for at least 10 to 20 minutes.
2.) Avoid Alcohol to Treat a Concussion
One should stay away from drinking alcohol. Small amounts of drink and light foods should be taken when you are permitted to eat again. For 24 hours, it is necessary to stay away from alcohol. Unless the doctor has instructed, sedatives or other drugs should not be taken by the patient. If a child is hurt, they can sleep, but they have to be woken after a break of three to four hours for gauging their response to familiar things and for checking their state.
3.) Consult a Doctor to Treat a Concussion
A doctor should be consulted for the assessment of a concussion or suspected head injury. The damage may seem minor, but can in fact turn out to be deadly as well. An ambulance should be called if the victim is not gaining consciousness. You can also drive to the doctor’s office or go to the nearby emergency room.
4.) Fish Oil to Treat a Concussion
Fish Oil is rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which assist to fix the brain and cure the concussion quickly. You can also consume fish such as sardine, mackerel, tuna, smelt and anchovies. Grill the fish lightly and eat it with a slice of lemon and a touch of butter. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are particularly helpful in curing headaches and memory loss in a person suffering from a concussion. You can take about 4 to 5 grams of fish oil right away after experiencing the damage induced concussion. Take this amount of fish oil daily for at least 1 week in order to experience the beneficial effects of this natural cure.
5.) Turmeric to Treat a Concussion
Turmeric is good for calming concussions because it lowers the swelling and relieves the pain. This is because turmeric contains a material called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. You can also apply turmeric paste locally on the head to relieve headaches and cure the pain caused by the concussion. Powder the root of this herb and add it to a hot drink or water and drink this frequently for best results.
6.) Antioxidants Food to Treat a Concussion
Eat fruits and green leafy vegetables for best results. The green vegetables hold nutrients such as folic acid and calcium, that are important for the healing process. Citrus fruits like tangerines and oranges contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, that fix the harm done to the head. This is because citric fruits are full of vitamin C. Vitamin C reduces the amount of oxidative stress caused during a concussion. Eating calcium containing foods along with the citrus fruits, is significant. It is because of the reason that Vitamin C is more easily consumed by the body if you take nutrients like potassium, magnesium and calcium alongside. You can also drink juices extracted from these fruits for best results.
7.) Drink Fluids to Treat a Concussion
Fluids help to bring back the lost balance in the body and also make sure the blood is not very thick. Viscosity of the blood is directly impacted by the quantity of water in the body and it is significant to uphold the consistency of the blood to make sure healing process during a concussion should be faster. Drink more than the quantity of water necessary for a person of your height, gender or weight. You should drink at least 1 ounce of fluid for every 2 kilograms of body weight, according to health experts. Water will also help you to stay away from dehydration and maintain a stable body temperature.
8.) Blueberry to Treat a Concussion
Blueberry is a herb with numerous healing powers. Blood vessel walls of the brain are toughened by the indigestion of the berries of this herb. This is because blueberry contains powerful antioxidants which help to fix the damage in the head. You can prepare blueberry tea using either fresh or dried berries of this herb. Add the berries to boiling water and let the mixture boil for about 10 to 20 minutes. Then add some honey or Stevia leaves and drink this herbal tea regularly in order to get best result.
9.) Proper Rest to Treat a Concussion
Taking adequate amount of rest is important to treat a concussion. Once a person has experienced a concussion, it is crucial for him or her to take rest and not make rapid head movements. This can lead to more problems. Make sure that the person does not lose consciousness and he or she is vivid and alert after waking up.
10.) Nuts to Treat Concussion
The salicin present in almonds acts as a pain reliever caused by a concussion. For frequent pain and anxiety caused by the concussion, almonds can be a great remedy. Try to avoid taking a pill in the initial stages of a concussion. Eat a good amount of almonds regularly to treat a concussion fast. After every meal and before going to bed, just eat some almonds to overcome the pain caused by a concussion.
11.) Exercise to Treat Concussion
A concussion does not let one to get active. A person suffering from a concussion is always inactive and in drowsiness state. Try to move out in fresh air. Getting in fresh hair will help you to divert your mind from the pain to the outside world. Good exercise releases endorphins, this helps to deal with the uncomfortable sensation due to a concussion. To get the most out of your exercise, keep in mind the following things.
Proper Schedule: Regular exercise is important to get rid of headaches caused by a concussion. A proper schedule helps to get in shape and make a mind-set for treating the concussion.
Rigorous Exercise: Doing rigorous exercise and stop doing it suddenly will treat the concussion. Rigorous exercise will warm up your body and increase your headache. After stopping the exercise will cool down your body and headache will get stopped.
Exercise in Fresh Air: Doing exercise in the fresh air will change your mood and will stop the headache. The fresh air and its coolness will make your body and soul fresh at the same time.
12.) Anti-inflammatory Drugs to Treat a Concussion
Anti-inflammatory drugs can also play an important role when it comes at treating a Concussion. Pain can be restricted by taking paracetamol. Bleeding can sometimes occur at the site of the damage if people use any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen. The important point before taking a drug to treat a concussion is to consult the doctor.
Check If a Person Has a Concussion
1.) Check the Victim
If you want to know that a person has a concussion then you need to examine the wounds and look properly at the victim. Carefully check if the person has bleeding head wound. Concussion might not bleed on the surface but under the scalp, which creates a goose eggs or large bruises. It is not mandatory that the visible external injuries are always a good way to tell if someone has a concussion since some minor scalp wound bleed profusely, while some less visible impact injuries can cause major brain impairment.
Physical symptoms include a sign of basilar skull fracture. The major sign is swollen bruise area that appear for many days after the skull fracture because blood get released behind the ear area.
2.) Notice All Physical Symptoms
When a person is suffering from mild or severe concussion then he/she will definitely suffer from physical symptoms. Check for any of the symptoms.
- Light Sensitivity
- Double or blurred vision.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Severe Headache.
- Vertigo
- Numbness, Tingling, weakness in arms and legs.
- Obvious confusion.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Amnesia
3.) Be Careful for Cognitive Symptoms
As the concussion is the ailment of brain and it often disturb the function of the brain. These disruption include
- Unusual irritability or excitability.
- Disinterest or difficulties with concentration, logic and memory.
- Drowsiness and Lethargy.
- Mood swings or outburst of inappropriate emotions and tearfulness.
4.) Judge Consciousness
While checking for concussion, it is really necessary to know whether or not the victim is conscious and know his level of cognitive function. To check the consciousness of the person, try the AVPU code.
- A- Stands for victim alert. You need to check, if the victim watch you with their eyes? Does he/she respond to your question? Does he/she Response to the environmental stimuli?
- V- Stands for Voice. You need to identity that the victims respond what you have spoken, if the response of victim is small and not completely alert then it’s a sign of symptoms of concussion. Does he/she yelled at your response? A victim can also reply in the verbal command and not be alert.
- P- Stand for pain or touch. To check the person you need to pinch the skin of a person to see the movement or if see after pinching the victim open his/her eyes. Another way is to pinch or poke the nail bed. You have to be careful while doing this so that you don’t give unnecessary harm to the victim. You just have to simply get the physical response of the victim.
- U-is the victim shows unresponsive to the acting of you have done.
5.) Have Eyes on the Victim Afterwards
Most concussion symptoms appear within the minutes of the injury. Other get appear half later. Some symptoms get will change later. You need to keep watch on the victim and call doctor if the symptoms get worse or change.
Treating a Mild Concussion
1.) Take over the Counter Pill Medicine
To get rid of head pain at home, you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol). You do not take ibuprofen or aspirin because that makes the bruising or bleeding worst.
2.) Keep Focused
If you think that the victim is conscious then ask question continually. This serves two purposes: To assess the degree of the victim impairment and to keep the victim awake throughout the session. If the cognitive get changes or worsen then seek medical attention. The good question includes:
- What is the date today?
- What is your name?
- Are you feeling Alright?
- What happened to you?
- Can you repeat these following words after me?
- Where are you?
3.) Be with Victim
For the first twenty-four hours, you need to stay with the victim. Do not leave the victim alone. You have to monitor the physical and cognitive function for any change. If the victim wants to sleep then wake the victim every quarter hour for the first 2 hours then every half hour for the following 2 hours, the hourly.
Every time when you wake them then does the AVPU consciousness test as outlined above. You want to continuously monitor their cognitive and physical state in case the symptoms appear the later or worsen. If the person won’t response in being wakeup, then you just have to treat the person as unconscious patient.
4.) Avoid Strenuous Activity
For days after your concussion, you need to avoid sports and strenuous activity. During this time you need to avoid the strenuous activity. While suffering from concussion avoid stressful situation. While suffering from concussion you need to take the rest and heal. Before you want to take part in the sport then you need to contact with the doctor.
5.) Avoid Driving
While suffering from concussion, you need to avoid driving. Do not operate a vehicle or drive until you get fully healed. You need someone to drive you and the doctor’s office or hospital.
6.) Take a Proper Rest
Just do not read, watch tv, just listen to the music and watch video games or perform any other mental task. You should take rest both physically and mentally.
7.) Consume Brain Healthy Food
There are many foods that have positive or negative impact on the brain. You need to avoid the alcohol after a concussion. You need to avoid the fried foods that contain high level of sugar, caffeine, artificial colors and flavors. Instead of those fatty and greasy foods, you should add these foods in your diet.
- Avocados
- Blueberries
- Nuts and Seeds.
- Butter, cheese and eggs.
- Coconut Oil
- Salmon
- Any fruits and Vegetables you like.
8.) Stay Still and Avoid Movement
If he or she got the neck or spine injury then may accompany the concussion. You need to avoid movement of the victim while waiting on the paramedics. Moving the person can cause further injury. If you move the person then do it very carefully. Make sure you move back and head a little to avoid the injury of the person. If the victim is in the bad situation then immediately take the help of doctor without taking any other action.