Post Concussion Syndrome- diagnose and treatments.
My story begins, April 30,2013. I was thrown from a horse(but that is another story) and landed flat on my back. I was knocked out for a few minutes and came to with shooting pain running through me. Finally, rolled over to crawl over to the stool to catch my breath. I had to literally crawl up the hill and yes, I drove myself home in deep pain.
By the time I made it home, I began feeling nauseated and dizzy and asked my daughter to drive me to the hospital. After a series of tests and ct's and x-ray's, the doctor comes in says, nothing is broken; only deep bruising and a concussion and that within 72 hours, I should be feeling much better. Low and behold, I did except for the deep bruising on my bottom and back. But, within the next Monday, I started feeling more dizzy, headache, sluggish, and passing out.. My ex-husband carried me back to the doctor and they rushed me back to the hospital for more test and then after leaving there, the doctor calls and says, "I want you to go to the heart doctor, now"...The heart doctor performs his test and had me wearing a heart monitor over the weekend (My middle daughter graduation from college).
All the test showed up normal but my doctor still wanted me to go for more test considering how hard I hit, just to make sure the diagnosis was correct. I had ENT,Neurologist,Cardiologist,CT's, MRI's, test on brain waves, you name it-- i had it.
The diagnosis was determined as Post Concussion Syndrome and I the symptoms of this is worse than the concussion itself.. how long? could be 6-8 more months or more or I could be in the small percentage that will always have these symptoms. There is no cure only let the brain heal and the symptoms should go away or not.. Not fun. Dizzy almost everyday and at times with headaches and with my heart, no stress at the present time, low impact exercises, but no pace maker so far. Who would have thought that a fall from a horse could cause all this, but I am blessed. I am on the mend and feeling better each day.
As, i have read and watched the news about head injuries and how I hear people tell me of their dizziness and headaches and such, I have to ask if they too have post concussion syndrome?
If this story helps just one person, I will be forever grateful.
Below is a copy/paste from a website about Post Concussion Syndrome
Thanks----
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Post-concussion syndrome is a complex disorder in which a variable combination of post-concussion symptoms — such as headaches and dizziness — last for weeks and sometimes months after the injury that caused the concussion.
Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury, usually occurring after a blow to the head. Loss of consciousness isn't required for a diagnosis of concussion or post-concussion syndrome. In fact, the risk of post-concussion syndrome doesn't appear to be associated with the severity of the initial injury.
In most people, post-concussion syndrome symptoms occur within the first seven to 10 days and go away within three months, though they can persist for a year or more. Post-concussion syndrome treatments are aimed at easing specific
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Loss of concentration and memory
- Noise and light sensitivity
Headaches that occur after a concussion can vary and may feel like tension-type headaches or migraine headaches. Most, however, are tension-type headaches, which may be associated with a neck injury that happened at the same time as the head injury. In some cases, people experience behavior or emotional changes after a mild traumatic brain injury. Family members may notice that the person has become more irritable, suspicious, argumentative or stubborn.
When to see a doctorSee a doctor if you experience a head injury severe enough to cause confusion or amnesia — even if you never lost consciousness. If a concussion occurs while you're playing a sport, don't go back in the game. Seek medical attention so that you don't risk worsening your injury.
Causes
Some experts believe post-concussion symptoms are caused by structural damage to the brain or disruption of neurotransmitter systems, resulting from the impact that caused the concussion. Others believe post-concussion symptoms are related to psychological factors, especially since the most common symptoms — headache, dizziness and sleep problems — are similar to those often experienced by people diagnosed with depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. In many cases, both physiological effects of brain trauma and emotional reactions to these effects play a role in the development of symptoms.
Researchers haven't determined why some people who've had concussions develop persistent post-concussion symptoms while others do not. No proven correlation between the severity of the injury and the likelihood of developing persistent post-concussion symptoms exists.
Risk factors
Risk factors for developing post-concussion syndrome include:
- Age. Studies have found increasing age to be a risk factor for post-concussion syndrome.
- Sex. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, but this may be because women are generally more likely to seek medical care.
- Trauma. Concussions resulting from car collisions, falls, assaults and sports injuries are commonly associated with post-concussion syndrome.
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