• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Concussion

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Symptoms:

A concussion results from a significant blow to the head. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. They can include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Memory loss (amnesia) of events surrounding the injury
• Headache

Emergency signs:

• Persistent unconsciousness (coma)
• Altered level of consciousness (drowsy, hard to arouse, or similar changes)
• Persistent confusion
• Convulsions
• Repeated vomiting
• Unequal pupils
• Unusual eye movements
• Muscle weakness on one or both sides
• Walking problems

Signs and tests:

A neurological examination may show abnormalities.

Tests that may be performed include:

• Head CT
• MRI of the head

• Review Date: 3/21/2006
• Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-RooseveltHospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed HealthcareNetwork.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.