[sarahelevy]

Hi. I am a 23 year old female. I have had two concussions in the past: one severe concussion in 2013, when I blacked out and vomited upon being hit in the back of the head, and one less severe concussion in 2014 when I hit the front of my head. Though my first concussion was more severe, my post-concussive symptoms went away after a month or so. With my second concussion, I found I had post-concussive symptoms for much longer - about 3-4 months.

Since these injuries I have found that every time I hit my head, I have a tendency to become paranoid about having re-concussed myself, because I know that the effects of prior concussions are compounded. I also find that every time I hit my head I tend to have headaches for much longer than I did before. On Friday night (3 days ago now) I accidentally hit the left, top side of my head on a metal pole, relatively hard. I did not black out, feel nauseous, or vomit after this happened, but I have had a bad headache for the past few days. I feel a dull, constant pressure in my head that is similar to the headaches I had with my prior concussions. Yesterday I had some ringing in my right ear for about 15 seconds, but it went away and hasn't happened since. Today I feel slightly nauseous, but it comes and goes.

My question is: Is it normal to experience headaches like this for a few days after bumping your head? As someone with concussive history, should I be worried, or should I calm down?

[Mark in Idaho]

sarahelevy,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your concussions.

There are no normals with concussions. The saying goes : If you have seen one head injury, you have seen ONE head injury. They are all different. Headaches are common with no understanding as to why they happen and how long they will last. The important issues is to not get anxious. Anxiety only makes things worse. You can't change the past so there is no value in being anxious. Your nausea could be due to anxiety. Nobody can say.

As someone who has had 14 concussions, I find that I do best with a pragmatic attitude. Whatever symptoms manifest are dealt with when they happen to the best I can. One head bump caused headaches that came and went for 6 moths. Pain meds (ibuprofen, acetaminophen), icing, relaxing, taking days slower, avoiding stress, and getting good sleep are all positive things you can do. Many of us help our brains with a vitamin and supplement regimen like the one in the Vitamins sticky at the top.

15 seconds of tinnitus (ringing) does not even rate for many of us. My tinnitus can last hours and never goes away entirely. Paying attention to tinnitus only makes it worse.

Have you made any changes in your daily activities to help with recovery ?

btw, If your screen name is you real full name, you might consider asking the administration to change it to something with a bit of anonymity. Posting health issues under a real name can be a concern for some.