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Is this normal with the PCS?
Hello all,
New guy here with the PCS. I am 28 years old and I had my first official concussion as a result of falling on a slippery ground and hitting the back of my head almost 6 weeks ago. Went to see my family doctor after couple of days of not feeling well, the doctor confirmed that I suffered concussion. Took a week off work, rested at home, slept as much as I could, minimized screen time, the following week felt very good, pretty much back to normal, with few subtle symptoms remaining. Went back to work with Doc's permission. During the weekend, 2 weeks after initial concussion, I slipped and fell clearing snow off my driveway, hit my head relatively lightly against "icy" snowbank, did not think of it much at that point, however, symptoms came back the next day. The following week I had to attend a professional training which was very mentally challenging, so not much mental rest during that week. Anyhow here I am, almost at 6 weeks, feeling more or less the same after hitting my head second time. For the most part "dizziness" and disorientation is gone, but I still have pressure in the head and some headaches after working on the computer for relatively long periods of time or having an intense conversation where I have to focus. However, what bothers me the most is the fact that I still feel like my perception of the world has changed, I feel "off", something is off but I can't really pinpoint what, things seem strange. Is this a typical symptom after concussion? If yes, how long does it stick around, any suggestions on how to get rid of it, asides from just letting the time pass by? Appreciate any input:) |
Curious,
I would say the feeling of something being off is common around here at any rate, and it is with me. Can't tell you how long it lasts as I still experience it though no longer full time or as bothersome. |
Thank you for responding. I was hoping to see more people share their opinions but even one response is better than none.
I am very concerned with the fact that my second incident two weeks after my initial concussion had caused major damage. I am fully aware of the fact that everybody's brain heals differently and everyone might have a different bouquet of symptoms, but what I wanted to find out is what are the most common symptoms that people experience with post concussive syndrome. There is a list of text book symptoms on the web, and it lists all kinds of possible symptoms, but I am curious to see what are the most common ones that persist amongst those who experience PCS. Thank you. |
curiousmind,
Welcome to NeuroTalk. I missed your original post the other day or I would have welcomed you then. As Bud said, you symptoms are common. And, as you have recognized, every concussion is different. The feeling of being 'off' is common but means something different for many. Some have vision issues that strain their perception. Others struggle with sensory overload. Anxiety is very common and is easily triggered. Trying to keep up with an mentally challenging workload can be a challenge. I doubt the second fall did any damage but rather, just set you back in your recovery. If it was a concern for more serious injury, the most common symptoms would be intense headache and maybe difficulty getting thoughts together. My recommendation is to try to moderate your mental challenges so your brain has a better chance to heal. If you know you have an intense day ahead, try to plan a light day before and after. It is difficult to do this with many jobs but delaying recovery can make you struggles last much longer than normal. My best to you as you try to find ways to give your brain a break.. |
Mark and Bud thank you for responding.
So I am still going through the same symptoms, I really find that long intense conversations and working for long periods of time on the computer which requires lots of concentration gives me a very tired feeling, headache, pressure in the head and confusion. I really hope that these symptoms will dissipate with time. Something else I wanted to ask you guys, but forgot to address it in my OP. 3 weeks in after my initial concussion, and 1 week after my second fall, after which the symptoms intensified, I was working around my house continuing to do renovations in my basement. At some point I was hammering away, I was really going at it trying to push a 2x6 in place, I realized that I was getting pretty dizzy. I tried to brush it off for a second but then again, when I tried to focus on something, I would get very bad vertigo. So I dropped everything and went upstairs, my vertigo was soo bad I had to hold on to the walls in order to make my way into the bedroom. I started to stress about it, because this vertigo wasn’t going away even after half an hour of lying down in my bed. I remember closing my eyes and everything was still spinning out of proportion, sort of similar to feeling when you are trying to fall asleep after heavy drinking, of course it has been years since I have experienced that :) After couple of hours I finally fell asleep and when I woke up in the morning, I still felt some dizziness but it wasn’t as severe as last night's vertigo. My girlfriend made me go to the ER that morning, after explaining to her my recent history, she examined me for traditional symptoms of concussion. In the end she said that it was unlikely relating to my concussion, but rather it could have been cause by inner ear (vestibular) problems. Anyhow, she did not really give me any answers and told me not to stress and to monitor my symptoms and that was it. So my question is could that very loud noise from hammering provoked a concussion, although there was no impact with my head? The reason why I ask is my colleague told me that her husband who has been on disability for many years now as a result of a multitude of concussion he got while playing professional hockey back in his twenties, is now so susceptible to concussions that he will get one from a very loud noise, i.e. a loud concert, heavy construction equipment, etc. But is that really possible without sustaining some sort of impact to your head? Thank you for your time guys! |
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Your colleague's husband does not get a concussion from the loud noises. He suffers a relapse of symptoms from the over-stimulation from the sound. Many of us have sensitivity to sound. That is called hyperacusis. Some struggle with multiple voices. Some are sensitive to bright lights.
In your case, you have developed a vestibular disorder from your concussion. A vestibular therapist should be able to help you understand it. You may benefit from the Epley Maneuver. There are crystals in the inner ear that can get dislodged that the Epley Maneuver can help move back into proper position. Some have success following YouTube instructions on doing at home Epley Maneuver movements. I bet you were working overhead with your head tipped back. That can also strain the upper neck. The body strain of fighting with the 2x6 can cause muscle tension in a lot of areas. This can be problematic. It would help if you got some ear protection. Foam earplugs or ear muffs. Mack's makes good foam ear plugs. Many of us rely on them. And NO. It is not possible to get a concussion without making contact with your head except for an event where the head is shaken violently for an extended period of time or a sudden collision stop in a car where the seat belt restrained the body and the head whipped back and forth or in a severe body check in hockey where the head got the same whipped action. " I really find that long intense conversations and working for long periods of time on the computer which requires lots of concentration gives me a very tired feeling, headache, pressure in the head and confusion." These symptoms will likely continue unless you can find a way to moderate this task load to avoid hitting the threshold level that causes symptoms. Taking breaks from the intense computer time will help. I bet you exhibit signs of over-doing it long before the headaches and fatigue set in. Maybe a need to focus harder, reread a line of text, etc. These are common signs the brain is struggling. Pushing through these points usually delays recovery. I doubt you retain much information from those intense conversations once you start to hit your fatigue threshold. When the brain is struggling, it has poor retention. Your doc was correct in suggesting taking time away from work but missed on directing you to reduce the stress load of your work for a few weeks or longer. It will help if you can moderate your stress/effort level at work and home. My best to you. |
That definitely sounds like BPPV which is usually treated very well by doing the Epley as Mark said. Looking upwards is a big trigger for it and was for me.
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Definitely earplugs and maybe even earmuffs in a closed room with a hammer.
I am pretty dang noise sensitive now. I cannot shoot, run saws, bang on steel and other such intense noises without earplugs and muffs. I would say that the intense concentration of your construction with your head tilted back and noise could have your head screaming for some mercy. I believe that some noises are to much for the never before concussed head as well but our brain seems to not be as alarmed by the symptoms. Bud |
MarkinIdaho, Bud, and ConcussedEngineer,
Thank you for taking your time to respond to my questions, I really appreciate it. Thankfully I have not experienced vertigo since that hammering incident, but if it happens in the future I will try that maneuver everyone seems to talk about. I wanted to ask the experienced folks whether you think it is not harmful to the concussed brain to do physical activities around the house, ie. working on the renovations, lifting things, moving around, lifting my head up and down, using some power tools (I started to wear ear protection when operating loud tools, thanks to your advice and I wear a helmet on at all times when I am working). I have noticed that I get a headache and feel way more exhausted after several hours in front of the computer, writing documents, emailing and reading (my office job), than from working around the house, doing renovations. Do you think, it is ok for the brain to continue this way (doing renovations few hours after work) if I don't get too many symptoms from it? I find that concentrating on intense conversations and generally prolonged mental concentration intensifies my brain fog and a headache. Also, is it recommended to introduce light physical exercise, such as light weight lifting, pushups, pullups, etc? Thank you! |
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