What Do You Know About Concussions?

Nausea and vomiting, confusion, and vision problems are all possible symptoms of a concussion. You may also have:

• Headache that gets worse
• Dizziness
• Memory loss
• Mood changes
• Seizures

If you have one or more of these symptoms after a head injury, you should seek emergency care. It’s important to remember that a concussion may leave you too confused to make the right decision. Family and friends will need to make sure you get the care you need.

Wearing a helmet for activities such as skiing, horseback riding, bicycle or motorcycle riding, contact sports, and snowboarding is one of many ways to prevent a concussion. Other ways include:

• Wear a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle
• Properly secure children in car seats
• Don’t drink and drive
• Get rid of things in your home that could cause you to trip

Call your child’s healthcare provider right away or take your child to the emergency department if they:

• Vomits multiple times
• Has a bad headache that gets worse
• Becomes drowsy and is hard to wake up
• Acts different than normal
• Has trouble walking
• Has speech or vision problems
• Has a stiff neck
• Has a seizure
• Has weakness or numbness in any part of the body