What is a Concussion?

According to the American Academy of Neurology, a brain concussion is a trauma-induced alteration in mental status that may or may not involve loss of consciousness. Confusion and amnesia are the hallmarks of concussion. This confusion and/or amnesia may occur immediately after the trauma or may occur several minutes later. A grading scale to rank concussions according to severity has been established, as follows.
Grade 1 (least severe)		Grade 2		Grade 3 (most severe)
1.	Transient confusion	1.	Transient confusion	1.	Any loss of consciousness.
2.	No loss of consciousness	2.	No loss of consciousness	.	.
3.	Concussion symptoms (see below) or mental status abnormalities which resolve in under 15 minutes.	3.	Concussion symptoms or mental status abnormalities which last more than 15 minutes.
Symptoms of Concussion
Early (within first few hours)			Late (days or weeks later)
Headache			Persistent low-grade headache
Dizziness or vertigo			Light-headedness
Lack of awareness of surroundings			Poor attention and concentration
Nausea or vomiting			Memory problems
			Tires easily
			Irritable with low frustration tolerance
			Intolerance of bright lights or trouble focusing vision
			Intolerance of loud noises
			Ringing in the ears
			Anxiety or depression
.			Sleep disturbances
Most concussions clear up within a few hours or days. If symptoms persist, contact your physician for a neurological examination. Other neurological testing may be indicated, such as a CT or MRI of the brain. Consultation with a neuropsychologist may be helpful to clarify the types of problems caused by the concussion, identify ways of helping in recovery, and minimize the disruptive effects of the concussion.