Hi John and welcome to NeuroTalk. This is a great place for support.
I had a concussion as a child and several as an adult due to car accidents. The worst one took awhile to recover. I had severe constant headache and the dizziness you talk about. It lasted for quite some time. I went to physical therapy for it.
I see some links have been provided for you. And I found a bit of information that might be helpful as well.
Take care.
Quote:
Symptoms of a concussion may include:
* "seeing stars" and feeling dazed, dizzy, or lightheaded
* memory loss, such as trouble remembering things that happened right before and after the injury
* nausea or vomiting
* headaches
* blurred vision and sensitivity to light
* slurred speech or saying things that don't make sense
* difficulty concentrating, thinking, or making decisions
* difficulty with coordination or balance (such as being unable to catch a ball or other easy tasks)
* feeling anxious or irritable for no apparent reason
* feeling overly tired
Different Grades of Concussion
There are different grades of concussion:
* Someone with a grade 1 concussion can have some of the symptoms listed above, but with no loss of consciousness and with symptoms ending within 15 minutes.
* With a grade 2 concussion, there has been no loss of consciousness but the symptoms last longer than 15 minutes.
* In a grade 3 concussion, the person loses consciousness — even if it's just for a few seconds.
If a doctor suspects that someone may have a concussion, he or she will ask about the head injury — such as how it happened and when — and the symptoms. The doctor may ask what seem like silly questions — things like "Who are you?" or "Where are you?" or "What day is it?" and "Who is the president?" Doctors ask these questions to check the person's level of consciousness and memory and concentration abilities.
The doctor will perform a thorough examination of the nervous system, including testing balance, coordination of movement, and reflexes. The doctor may ask the patient to do some activity such as running in place for a few minutes to see how well the brain functions after a physical workout.
Sometimes a doctor may order a CT scan (a special brain X-ray) or an MRI (a special non-X-ray brain image) to rule out bleeding or other serious injury involving the brain.
If the concussion isn't serious enough to require hospitalization, the doctor will give instructions on what to do at home, like having someone wake the person up at least once during the night. If a person with a concussion cannot be easily awakened, becomes increasingly confused, or has other symptoms such as vomiting, it may mean there is a more severe problem that requires contacting the doctor again.
The doctor will probably recommend that someone with a concussion take acetaminophen or other aspirin-free medications for headaches. The person also will have to take things easy at school or work.
After a Concussion
After a concussion, the brain needs time to heal. It's really important to wait until all symptoms of a concussion have cleared up before returning to normal activities. The amount of time someone needs to recover depends on how long the symptoms last. Healthy teens can usually resume their normal activities within a few weeks, but each situation is different. A doctor will monitor the person closely to make sure everything's OK.
Someone who has had a concussion and has not recovered within a few months is said to have postconcussion syndrome. The person may have the same problems described earlier — such as poor memory, headaches, dizziness, and irritability — but these will last for longer periods of time and may even be permanent.
If someone has continuing problems after a concussion, the doctor may refer him or her to a rehabilitation specialist for additional help.
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That last sentence, that's what I ended up doing after one of the car accidents. The headaches just wouldn't go away and I went to physical therapy for it.