Do you know what can cause a concussion? You might think it has to be a big, striking impact or collision, but in actuality it can be on a much smaller scale. Children fall to the floor quite often with no ill effects, because they are closer to the ground. But when an adult falls from a standing position, they have farther to fall and can shake their brain if they hit the ground hard enough.
For instance if they are about to sit down, misjudge a chair’s position and fall to the floor, they will likely be fine since they were closer to the floor than if they were standing. If an adult is walking their dog through a park, and trips over their dog’s leash, hitting the ground hard, they are more likely to hurt themselves.
Concussions can also occur when playing sports. It does not matter if the players are children or adults. If two players collide, they can experience a concussion. The sport in question doesn’t matter either. Players can collide when they are playing soccer, baseball, football or basketball, for example.
Concussions can also occur as part of a car accident. When car accidents happen, there are actually three major impacts. First, the two cars collide. Inside, the second impact is the passengers’ bodies hitting various parts of the car. The third impact happens inside each individual, and that is when their organs get slammed or knocked around. For the heart and lungs, they may feel soreness from them knocking into the ribs.
But for the brain, the concussion occurs when the brain sloshes around in the spinal fluid and slams into the hard, bony skull. It works very well in day to day life as a protector of the brain, but during a collision when the brain shakes and bounces, the skull can seriously injure the brain.
Concussions can occur even if you’re not expecting them. When it comes to your brain, the motto is “better safe than sorry.” If you are unsure if you have a concussion, always err on the side of caution and get it checked out. The reason for this is because if you assume that you are fine and you resume your normal activities, you can reinjure your already injured brain. This can cause permanent damage and/or setbacks in your recovery. You can get a concussion by getting hit in the head with something, even something small.
A concussion depends on a variety of factors, such as what you were doing, how fast you were going, if you hit the ground and if so, from how high, or how hard. The point is that you should not simply assume that you are fine, especially if you feel fuzzy headed or confused, or if you feel nauseated, or if you have a very painful headache. These are all warning signs that a concussion has happened and that you should seek medical help. It is natural to have a slight headache after being hit in the head with something or after you collide with someone, or if you fall and hit your head. But the pain should be temporary. If it is very intense pain, or if it lasts a long time, or if it worsens, you should seek medical help.