Symptoms

Because the brain is complex, every brain injury is different. Some symptoms may appear right away. Other symptoms may not show up for days or weeks. Sometimes the injury makes it hard for people to recognize or to admit that they are having problems.

The signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle. Early on, problems may be missed by patients, family members, and doctors. People may look fine even though they may act or feel differently.

Possibly symptoms of concussion:

• Headaches or neck pain that won’t go away;
• Difficulty with mental tasks such as remembering, concentrating, or making decisions;
• Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading;
• Getting lost or easily confused;
• Feeling tired all of the time, having no energy or motivation;
• Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason);
• Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping);
• Light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of balance;
• Urge to vomit (nausea);
• Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions;
• Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily;
• Loss of sense of smell or taste;
• Ringing in the ears.

Children with a brain injury can have the same symptoms as adults. But it is harder for them to let others know how they feel. Call your child’s doctor if your child has had a blow to the head and you notice any of these symptoms: 

• Tiredness or listlessness;
• Irritability or crankiness (will not stop crying or cannot be consoled);
• Changes in eating (will not eat or nurse);
• Changes in sleep patterns;
• Changes in the way the child plays;
• Changes in performance at school;
• Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities;
• Loss of new skills, such as toilet training;
• Loss of balance or unsteady walking; or
• Vomiting.

Causes

The leading causes of TBI are

• Vehicle crashes,
• Firearm use, and
• Falls (Thurman et al. 1999).

Firearm use is the leading cause of death related to TBI (CDC 1999b).

Firearms cause about 10% of all TBIs, but they account for 44% of TBI-related deaths (CDC 1999b).

Nine out of 10 people with a firearm-related TBI die (CDC 1999b).

Nearly two-thirds of firearm-related TBIs are classified as suicidal in intent (CDC 1999b).

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States—A Report to Congress. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;1999b.

Thurman D, Alverson C, Dunn K, Guerrero J, Sniezek J. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: a public health perspective. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation 1999;14(6):602–15.