How do I know if I have had a concussion?
After a blow to the head or body, you may experience loss of consciousness and/or some of the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Feeling mentally foggy
- Trouble with mental tasks such as attending, concentrating, and remembering
- Slow thinking, difficulty reading
- Getting lost or easily confused
- Feeling tired
- Having low energy
- Feeling sad, irritable, anxious, or overly emotional
- Having difficulty sleeping or sleeping a lot more than usual
- Feeling light headed, dizzy or off balance
- Light sensitivity
- Noise sensitivity
- Vomiting or nausea
- Blurred or double vision
- Ringing in the ears
- In young children, the following may be noticed: vomiting, unsteady walking, loss of a previously attained skill (e.g., toileting, walking, or speech), listlessness, crankiness, loss of interest in usually enjoyed activities or things, change in sleep or eating, trouble functioning in school
A person will have some, but usually not all of these symptoms, following concussion. You can have a concussion without having actually hit your head.