Signs & Symptoms of Concussion
Immediate symptoms may include vacant stare, disorientation, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting, headache, and dizziness.
Ongoing symptoms may also develop.
Each person may report a variety of symptoms that impair their daily activities
Physical symptoms:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Imbalance
- Nausea/vomiting
- Fatigue
- Double or blurred vision
- Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
- Phonophobia (sensitivity to sound)
Sleep symptoms:
- Sleeping more than usual
- Sleeping less than usual
- Trouble falling asleep
- Trouble staying asleep
Emotional symptoms:
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Mood swings
- Aggression
- Decreased tolerance to stress
Cognitive symptoms:
- Poor short or long term memory
- Confusion
- Brain fog
- Difficulty concentrating
- Reduced attention span
- Slowed mental processing
Concussion and Dizziness
Up to 79% of people report dizziness or vertigo and 56% report balance issues post-concussion. The vestibular system is a small and fragile structure located in the inner ear within the skull. Trauma to the head can cause damage to the vestibular system. The following vestibular-related conditions may occur:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Unilateral loss of vestibular function
- Base of skull fracture that damages the vestibular system
- Vestibular sensory integration dysfunction causing poor processing of vestibular input
- Post traumatic migraines
- Perilymphatic fistula or semicircular canal dehiscence
- Brainstem concussion
