If a concussion occurs, a person may end up in a hospital, where he will be given first aid, diagnosed and treated. You should not leave the problem uncontrolled and hope that it will go away on its own.
Without qualified help, negative consequences often arise that can lead to disability. How long you stay in the hospital with a concussion depends on the severity of the injury and the presence of complications.
Possible symptoms of a concussion
- Brief confusion or loss of consciousness. With a strong blow, the moment of injury disappears from memory.
- Dizziness even at rest, and when turning, bending or other changes in body position, the symptom intensifies.
- Severe headache, nausea and vomiting.
- Double vision, inability to concentrate on one point.
- Increased sensitivity to light and sounds.
- Impaired coordination of movements.
- Reaction inhibition - the victim gives an answer to the question after some time.
- Pale skin, weakness, sweating.
Important! A concussion is not always accompanied by visible head injuries, so the absence of wounds does not exclude brain injury.
Treatment of injury
Typically, therapeutic measures for concussion are aimed at eliminating swelling of the brain.
Before prescribing any treatment, the doctor will ask the patient what symptoms they experienced immediately after receiving the traumatic brain injury.
Depending on the severity of the concussion, the patient may be treated on an outpatient or inpatient basis.
With a mild degree of severity, you may not even need to use medications , and if we are talking about a severe concussion, you cannot do without hospitalization in a hospital.
Indications for inpatient treatment:
- severe dizziness;
- unbearable headache;
- unsteadiness when walking;
- convulsions;
- long-term memory loss.
Inpatient therapy
When all the necessary diagnostic tests are carried out in the hospital, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment. First of all, patients are prescribed complete rest and bed rest for several days, depending on the severity of the concussion.
Important! Any actions that excite the patient’s psyche are strictly prohibited in order to avoid the return of concussion symptoms.
How long do you have to stay in the hospital with a concussion?
Exactly how long the treatment period in the hospital lasts and how long it takes to restore functionality varies depending on the severity of the injury. The disease may subside in a week or two, but if the symptoms do not go away in a timely manner, then hospital treatment may be extended even longer . Also, the length of hospital stay depends on the age of the injured person: children can stay in the hospital for up to a month. After discharge from the hospital, all patients must follow the instructions of their attending physician and carry out rehabilitation measures.
Medications
As a medical treatment, the patient is prescribed medications that help improve brain function.
In addition to this, depending on the nature of the symptoms that appear, medications of other types may be needed:
painkillers (Ketonal, ibuprofen - help cope with headaches);- sedatives (Novopassit, Motherwort - calm the nervous system);
- nootropic (Piracetam, Glycine - support the nutrition of brain cells, normalize the functioning of the central nervous system);
- vasotropic (Mexidol, Oksibral - strengthen blood vessels and make them elastic).
Attention! Self-prescription of painkillers is not recommended. It is carried out only by a specialist.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
Physiotherapy is an excellent addition to treatment . It is also very important during the period of rehabilitation and recovery.
The main physical therapy methods used to treat concussions include:
- Galvanotherapy is the use of continuous electric current of low strength and voltage for therapeutic purposes. Galvanization helps improve blood circulation, resolve inflammatory processes, increase immunity and improve muscle function.
- Laser therapy is based on the effect of a beam of light on the patient’s body. It leads to increased metabolic processes in the body, weakening of pain, and activation of the functions of immune cells.
- Hyperbaric oxygenation is the saturation of the body with oxygen inside special devices.
First aid for concussion
- If one or more symptoms are present, immediately call an ambulance or take the victim to a doctor.
- Treat a wound on the head if it appears as a result of an impact.
- For an hour or until the doctor arrives, it is important not to fall asleep, but to remain at rest.
- If you lose consciousness, lay the person on his side, bend his knees, and put his hands under his head.
- If symptoms of a concussion do not immediately appear, it is recommended to rest and not begin vigorous activity.
Period of hospital stay
It is impossible to say for sure how long a person will have to stay in the hospital with a concussion. The period depends on the condition of the person and how quickly the body recovers.
In some cases, a concussion is accompanied by the appearance of an intracranial hematoma. It is much more difficult to treat, moreover, it poses a threat to life and significantly worsens well-being .
On average, the hospital period can range from 3 days to 21 days. When there are neurological complications, then the person remains in the hospital for the maximum period. If the state of health improves quickly, the person is discharged home after about 3-4 days. In this case, he will have to be temporarily observed by a neurologist.
Consequences from a concussion can occur even after you are discharged from the hospital. For this reason, you should not leave the hospital prematurely, or rush to return to your previous lifestyle. If a person does not agree to hospitalization, or insists on prompt discharge from the hospital, complications may arise.
Symptoms such as irritability, migraines and memory loss are much more likely to develop outside the hospital. It is important to receive proper treatment so that you do not have to suffer from unpleasant symptoms.
Recommendations for the treatment of concussions
If hospitalization is not required, with the permission of a doctor, a mild concussion can be treated at home:
- Bed rest and rest are required, no work. Long sleep is very important.
- You cannot read, watch TV, play computer games or use gadgets.
- Under no circumstances should you play sports.
- You are allowed to listen to music, but not through headphones.
- You can use herbal sedative drops or herbal infusions.
- In your diet, you should give preference to dairy and plant products, limit salt intake - to prevent increased pressure, including intracranial pressure.
If the patient seeks medical help in a timely manner and all recommendations are followed, recovery will occur quickly and without complications.
How long do people stay in the hospital with a concussion?
A person with a concussion is hospitalized in order to relieve the acute condition and prevent the development of complications. The length of hospital stay may vary. It varies from several days to three weeks.
The duration of inpatient treatment is determined by the following factors:
- person's age;
- severity of concussion;
- general health;
- quality of first aid;
- the body's reaction to the therapy;
- the presence of complications and the risk of their occurrence.
The more severe the injury, the worse the patient’s condition will be and the higher the likelihood of developing complications, which means the victim must stay longer within the walls of a medical institution. Young people usually suffer from concussions more easily than older people. Therefore, older people may be kept in hospital longer.
Some people with a concussion refuse hospitalization or rush to leave the hospital as soon as possible. This is not recommended. Ignoring the symptoms of pathology and failure to maintain a calm lifestyle can lead to serious health problems. A person may experience impaired coordination, memory, vascular pathologies, and mental disorders. All this negatively affects performance. Complications appear immediately, after several days or months.
Even with a mild concussion, doctors recommend spending some time in the hospital. A person needs bed rest and medical supervision. It is also important to undergo testing to determine which systems are affected by the injury.
Consent to stay in a hospital simplifies the process of obtaining a certificate of incapacity for work. Such a document is automatically opened upon registration at the hospital. If a person refuses hospitalization, then to obtain release from work he will have to see a neurologist to confirm the diagnosis and prescribe outpatient treatment.
Rehabilitation methods
Rehabilitation is a whole complex of activities that are carried out both during the treatment period and in the subsequent period of recovery of the body. It is aimed at adapting the patient to physical activity, preventing the return of concussion symptoms, increasing the stability of the vestibular system and strengthening the body as a whole.
Restoration of cognitive functions
Cognitive impairment is detected in the majority of victims of traumatic brain injury and is the main cause of their disability.
With such disorders, victims are characterized by rapid fatigue under mental stress, deterioration of memory and attentiveness, loss of skills and knowledge that the person possessed before the injury. To improve cognitive functions, doctors often prescribe drugs with neuroprotective properties (Semax, Glycine, Ceraxon).
Neurologists say that for such disorders it is very useful to solve all kinds of crossword puzzles . Doctors also recommend neuropsychological correction; it is carried out in order to restore memory, attention and control over emotions.
You should also attend psychotherapy sessions to relieve depression. In some cases, if a patient has problems with speech, it is worth contacting a speech therapist. Recovery time varies from several weeks to several months, depending on the severity of the concussion.
For movement disorders
Reference! People who have suffered a brain injury often experience disruptions to the organ systems involved in maintaining balance.
In case of such problems, experts recommend stabilometric studies that will help determine what specific deviations from the norm are present in the victim and aquatherapy to compensate for motor disorders. The number of sessions that should be taken is determined by specialists.
For somatic disorders
Somatic disorders are characterized by inflammatory, bacterial and viral pathologies, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels.
Treatment of somatic diseases includes taking medications that relieve symptoms. Doctors often prescribe metabolic drugs and vitamins to patients with such disorders .
It is also recommended to engage in physical therapy and maintain proper nutrition - the diet should limit the consumption of potassium-containing foods, salt, and protein. This type of disorder can be treated within several months if the patient follows all the instructions of the specialists.
The role of time in the recovery process is very large . The sooner rehabilitation begins, the faster the victim will recover.
Rehabilitation after a brain injury
A brain contusion is also a type of traumatic brain injury, but it differs from a concussion in the tissue damage. People need rehabilitation after a brain injury, as consequences of varying severity may appear.
Comprehensive diagnostics using CT and MRI makes it possible to identify destructuring of brain tissue and begin timely treatment. For patients who come to the Yusupov Hospital with a brain contusion, neurologists and neurosurgeons are developing a treatment program that includes conservative and minimally invasive methods. Rehabilitation after a brain contusion is carried out by highly qualified specialists from the Yusupov Hospital.
How to recover at home?
The recovery process after a concussion should last at least one year.
Throughout this year, it is necessary to follow a special diet, which consists of easily digestible foods; if possible, the patient should not drink alcohol, energy drinks, coffee and similar drinks. This way, the body can focus on restoring normal brain function after the injury. also necessary to strictly follow the instructions of your doctor , visit a neurologist from time to time, do not skip medications, and give your body a little physical activity.
Important! In order for the recovery process to proceed quickly, the patient should not overload himself with physical or mental work.
So, we looked at how long and how a concussion is treated. Pathological changes that occur as a result of a concussion are reversible. It is important to consult a doctor in time to avoid all sorts of complications.
