A head injury is always a serious situation, even if it does not seem so at the time. Brain injuries may not always be immediately clear, so any time you suffer a bump to the head, you need to seek medical care.
One of the most common head injuries is a concussion. While they occur often, they can be incredibly dangerous. Piedmont Healthcare explains that some concussions can lead to long-term effects.
Simple concussions
A simple concussion that occurs one time and does not lead to any serious injuries to the brain will usually clear up easily and result in no long-term issues. However, you should keep in mind this applies only in a one-off situation where you have no other concussions or head injuries.
Repeat issues
Repeat concussions are the problem. They can lead to compounding brain injuries that do cause long-term effects. They can change how the brain works and impact a person’s ability to function cognitively.
Healing
The key to avoiding long-term side effects from a concussion is to let the brain fully heal prior to another injury. If you have a concussion, you need to be very careful. Staying still and calm is the main idea until your doctor clears you. If you were to suffer another concussion while healing, it greatly increases the chances you will have long-term effects.
If you already have serious side effects from the concussion, you may have to be more careful about head injuries in the future. There is the potential a reinjury could lead to lasting issues that will never go away and will have profound effects on your cognitive function.
