Hello

I'll tell my situation in detail in case something will matter.

I'm 26, male and in good health. I go to the gym 3 times a week to lift weights, and I also go for walks every day, and play football (soccer) a couple of times a week.

Anyway, just over 4 weeks ago I was playing football. I went up to head a ball and took a blow on my right side temple, which turned out to be an opponent's head that had collided with me.

Afterwards I was standing there in a lot of pain, and I just had to lie down.
I was very dazed, I needed help to get off the pitch.

I started to feel a bit better, but when I was in the changing room, I felt awful. My breathing was very quick, and I could hardly recognise people. I was very dazed.

I got taken to A&E and was seen by the doctor.
She diagnosed a concussion and I was sent home.

Over the next week I started to gradually improve - I went back into work on the Thursday (I work in IT)...but I obviously was not fully recovered as I had to go home as I was very tired, couldn't focus and still felt dazed.

I went home and rested. I improved over the weekend and went back into work the next Thursday as I felt fully recovered. The only symptoms I had at this point were a pain in my temple if I yawned or had to chew food. My temple was still quite tender at this stage.

I went to the gym on Friday, was active on Sat (painting some of my car), and went to the gym again on Monday. I was symptom free still.

However, on the Tuesday at work I started to experience the dazed feeling in the afternoon, extreme tiredness, an inability to concentrate and headaches.

2 points I would make here - I don't feel I drank enough water this day - usually I would drink probably 2 litres of water at work. I probably drank less than 500ml. I was also pressing against the tender spot on my temple a lot - which was still sore!

I went back to work the next day, and I felt awful still - very tired, feeling slow, dazed, hard to focus my vision, was close to tears and I didn't know why - and couldn't decide what to do.

I ended up being taken over to casualty again by my boss - where they did some reaction tests and examined my eyes. They also did a CT scan, which the doctor said was fine. He said I had post concussion syndrome...and said I should just try and 'get through it', which annoyed me a bit as I felt utterly wiped out. I explained that I work in IT and couldn't focus on my work. He seemed to think I was looking a sick line from him.

Anyway - I've been off work now for a week and a half since going to A&E. I get very tired, my head feels 'pressurised' and heavy where I got hit and behind my eyes, I feel dazed, irritable, find it hard to focus and concentrate, and I am thirsty a lot...I'm drinking a lot of water!

Sometimes I feel like I'm improving, but then I regress. If I'm being honest, I don't feel like I've improved much in the last 10 days since I've been off.

I'm just looking for some advice as to how I can get myself back to normal, as I'm beginning to get a bit fed up, and I hate having to take so much time off work.

I also have a few more specific questions if anyone can help:

1) What is the difference between an MRI and CT scan?

2) Is there any significance in the fact I felt completely recovered but then relapsed 17-18 days later?

3) Would the fact I have tenderness still in my temple be cause the dazed and fatigue symptoms? Would it point to me not having recovered fully?

4) Is it normal to continue to experience these symptoms after 4 weeks? Is the fact that the site of impact was the temple of any concern?

I must admit I am also scared and worried - I've read about the fact these symptoms can continue for months, even over a year. I feel stressed and like I will never feel myself again - even though it is only 4 weeks.

Any advice is most welcome, and also if you need me to clarify anything then just ask. Thanks