Concussion is one of the most common sports injuries, but kids, older adults, and nonathletes can get them, too. Concussion happens because of a blow to your head or an injury that shakes your brain inside your skull.
Concussions are treatable, but sometimes people miss the signs. The symptoms can be physical (like a headache) and mental (like feeling confused).
Once you’ve had a concussion, your brain is more sensitive to damage. That’s why it’s important to know concussion symptoms and to get treatment as soon as possible.
Related services include:
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). You can get a concussion if you take a direct or indirect hit to your head or body. Athletes often get concussions from falls or blows to the head.
Your brain is a soft organ that sits in spinal fluid, which acts like a cushion to keep your brain from banging into your skull. But if you get hit hard, your brain can “crash” into your skull.
The impact of that crash causes chemical and cellular changes, as well as damage, in your brain. That is why any level of concussion can be a serious health problem. An injured brain is much easier to reinjure.
Some people heal from concussions quickly, while others may need weeks or even months. If you don’t get the right care for a concussion, you can end up with long-term effects.
There are six types of concussions organized around the symptoms you may feel.
Types of concussion include:
This type of concussion makes it hard to turn off your thoughts. You might have excessive worry and feel restless. It can also make social interactions difficult. But your symptoms may get worse if you isolate yourself and avoid normal activities.
This type of concussion causes trouble with stress or pressure on your neck, spine, or spinal cord. You may start having more frequent headaches. Slouching while on the computer or carrying a heavy backpack may worsen symptoms.
This type of concussion can cause trouble with complex mental tasks and make you extra tired after long days.
You might:
This type of concussion can cause you to have trouble with visual tasks, including:
This type of concussion affects your senses. You can feel overwhelmed by loud places, such as concerts or sporting events.
Symptoms include:
Your vestibular system is your brain’s balance center. This type of concussion can cause trouble with balance, motion, and vision.
You might struggle to:
Since your brain is a soft organ, it needs your skull to protect it. And even though your brain sits in fluid that acts like a cushion, that cushion isn't enough when your head or body takes a hit.
A strong impact can cause your brain to shake or collide with the inside of your skull. Imagine your brain as an egg yolk moving freely within an eggshell. This movement can damage your brain, which is why a concussion is classified as a type of brain injury.
There are many ways to get a concussion that aren't related to athletic injuries. Some common causes of concussion include fights, falls, playground injuries, car crashes, and bike accidents.
Anyone can get a concussion, but athletes who participate in certain sports have a higher risk of concussion.
These sports include:
Younger athletes and females tend to take longer to recover from concussions.
No athlete should return to playing a sport until all their concussion symptoms are gone and a concussion expert has cleared them to play.
A concussion changes how your brain functions. This side effect can reduce reaction time and cause changes in vision and perception.
If a player continues playing with a concussion that hasn’t healed, they’re more likely to get another one.
Having one concussion doesn’t mean that the effects will be worse if you get another concussion at some point. If you get the right treatment the first time, you can make a complete recovery. However, too many concussions can lead to a slower or reduced recovery.
Anyone can get a concussion, so you may not be able to completely prevent one — especially if you play contact sports. If you have a fall, collision, or another type of accident and experience concussion symptoms, getting fast treatment can help you recover and reduce your risk of a more serious concussion.
Concussions are common, especially among athletes. Each year, UPMC concussion experts treat thousands of people, of which 70% are high school athletes.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Concussions aren’t limited to athletes. They can happen to anyone. They happen in older adults, often as a result of falls. People may miss the signs of concussion in older adults because they aren’t looking for them.
Concussion doesn’t always have obvious signs, and the signs can happen quickly or hours later. Some people have immediate symptoms; for others, symptoms may show up as much as two days later.
An athlete who has any of these concussion signs should leave the field of play immediately.
Immediate concussion symptoms include:
Other common symptoms of concussion that may happen quickly or appear later include:
Concussions can have significant emotional and psychological effects, including anxiety and depression. These symptoms may not be immediately apparent and can develop over time. It's important to recognize and address these issues to improve overall recovery and quality of life.
A concussion can disrupt the delicate chemical balance in the brain, affecting areas responsible for regulating mood and emotions.
The stress of coping with the immediate aftermath of a concussion and concerns about recovery can also trigger or worsen anxiety and depression.
Young children have the same symptoms as older children and adults, but sometimes it can be harder to tell if a small child has a concussion.
Young children may have symptoms including:
All concussions are serious. If you suspect you, your child, or an athlete on your team have a concussion, make an appointment with an expert right away. If symptoms are severe, go to your nearest hospital emergency department. Research shows that the sooner you seek medical attention for a concussion, the faster your recovery will be.
If you’ve been treated for a concussion, but your symptoms aren’t getting better, always call a concussion specialist. Otherwise, you could be at risk for lingering symptoms.
The provider will review your health history, ask about your symptoms, and do a physical exam.
To confirm if you have a concussion and which type you have, your concussion specialist will:
Your concussion specialist will do an exam and may ask you questions to test your memory and ability to pay attention.
Your provider might also:
Imaging does not diagnose a concussion.
To rule out bruising or bleeding in your brain, your doctor may order imaging tests, such as:
At UPMC, we also use ImPACT, or Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing.
This test compares pre-concussion results with a post-concussion assessment and looks at:
Most people make a full recovery after concussion. However, the time it takes to return to normal differs depending on the severity of your injury and how quickly your brain heals.
Concussions are highly treatable, but no two concussions are the same. The key is to get treatment as soon as possible. For athletes, that means immediately leaving the field of play if you have any concussion symptoms.
At UPMC, we personalize active treatment plans to reduce your symptoms and return you to your normal activities.
While a short rest period is sometimes helpful immediately following a concussion, our research and exceptional patient outcomes show it takes more than that. An active treatment approach — one that forces the brain to readapt to stimuli — is key to full recovery.
Your treatment may include:
Behavioral therapy can treat symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as mood changes that can occur after a concussion. Your behavioral health expert can also help you manage stress, worry, and frustration that can sometimes occur during your recovery.
Your doctor may prescribe medications to treat symptoms of concussion, including:
Your doctor may refer you to a physical, cognitive, or occupational therapist who has expertise in treating concussion.
Your therapy program may include:
When your brain suffers a blow, a series of things happen at the cellular level. Essentially, there’s a chain reaction. The result is that you have decreased blood supply to your brain.
Lower blood supply makes your cells vulnerable, and another injury can damage them more severely. That's why it’s so dangerous for athletes with concussions to stay in the game or continue their activity. The dizziness, blurry vision, headache, and perception issues mean the athlete is more likely to fall or get hit again.
Even a person who isn’t an athlete is at risk for reinjury. For example, an older person with an undiagnosed concussion is more likely to fall again.
Concussions are complex injuries with a wide range of outcomes. Since each case is unique, there's no standard timeline for recovery.
Some people get better in days, while others need weeks or months. Some may have long-term effects, usually if they don’t get proper care. But the sooner you get the right treatment, the better your chance of recovering fully and faster.
When you choose UPMC for concussion care, you will receive:
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-03-12.
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