What is a concussion?
Concussions are a type of traumatic injury to your brain that occur quite frequently in car accidents. They’re a result of your brain colliding with the inside of your skull, which can happen if you experience a rapid acceleration-deceleration or whiplash injury.
Your brain has protection inside your skull from the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds it, so minor bumps and knocks aren’t usually a problem. An auto accident can involve far greater forces than your body can endure, resulting in a concussion.

What are the symptoms of concussions?
You might notice some or many of the following symptoms if you have a concussion:

• Headache or sensation of pressure in your head
• Memory loss concerning the accident
• Sensitivity to sound or light
• Problems sleeping
• Dizziness
• Ringing in your ears
• Nausea and vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Delayed responses
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Personality changes

You might lose consciousness, but this could be so brief you don’t realize.
It could take hours or days following an auto accident for concussion symptoms to appear. When you visit Tulsa Accident Care Center, your doctor always checks for a concussion, because left untreated, concussions can lead to a variety of medical problems, some serious.

How are concussions diagnosed?
Sometimes the symptoms of concussion are clear to your Tulsa Accident Care Center doctor when they talk to you. In other cases, diagnosing a concussion requires a neurological examination that looks at your:

• Vision and hearing
• Strength
• Responses
• Balance
• Reflexes
• Coordination
• Memory
• Concentration

If you’re experiencing severe headaches and vomiting, your symptoms are worsening, or you’re having seizures, you might need to undergo a brain imaging scan. A scan can determine whether your injury is severe and if there’s bleeding or swelling inside your skull.
Tulsa Accident Care Center has state-of-the-art computerized tomography (CT) scanning facilities on-site for prompt and precise diagnosis of concussions. There is also magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning to identify changes in the brain and diagnose the complications concussions might cause.

How are concussions treated?
You need to take it easy for a few days if you have a concussion. Complete immobility isn’t advisable, but you should rest both your body and your mind by avoiding strenuous physical activity and anything that requires focus or concentration, including screen time.
Tulsa Accident Care Center can advise you when it’s safe to start increasing your activity levels, which you should do gradually. If your symptoms return, slow down again, and seek advice. You might need to make changes to your work or school life, so you don’t overdo it while you recover.
As well as guiding and supervising your recovery, Tulsa Accident Care Center can also help by treating injuries that commonly occur at the same time as concussion, such as whiplash. As well as extensive physical therapy services, there is an on-site pharmacy where you can obtain pain relief for a concussion headache and neck pain.
If you’re involved in an auto accident and may have a concussion, call Tulsa Accident Care Center for advice or book an appointment online today.