| Symptoms of a Concussion,
and what to do if you have one
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (or TBI) caused by a direct or indirect hit to your head or body.
When your head takes a hit, your brain gets jerked around inside your skull, causing damage to your brain cells.
Most concussions resolve in a couple weeks to a few months. Concussions are common in all sports, but unfortunately, they’re very common among us cyclists. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, emergency rooms all over the country typically treat cyclists more than athletes from any other sport, including football (!), for concussions. What makes concussions tricky is that there’s no specific amount of force that causes a concussion. Sometimes big hits don’t result in concussions, but smaller ones do. It simply depends on your brain, and everyone’s is different, which is why even a small fall or a seemingly harmless bump should be taken seriously.
A few concussions in a lifetime probably won’t lead to any long-term brain damage.
Genetics and age at injury may also factor into your risk of long-term damage. That said, multiple moderate or severe TBIs can result in neurological, cognitive, or behavioral problems long-term.
If you experience a crash in which you hit your head—whether in a race, out on the trails, or even on a group ride, it’s important to proceed with caution. Riding through a concussion and not taking adequate time off is linked to recurrent injury, more severe injury, and longer recovery overall.
Symptoms of concussions fall under four categories: physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep.
Physical symptoms: headaches—with over 80 percent of people reporting them in the first week after sustaining their head injury—dizziness and trouble balancing, nausea, fatigue, and sensitivity to light and noise.
Cognitive symptoms: feeling foggy and slowed down, and having difficulty concentrating and remembering things.
Emotional symptoms: irritability, sadness, and anxiety.
Sleep-related symptoms: Insomnia or sleeping way more than normal. More serious symptoms include total amnesia or losing consciousness.
It is worth noting that the effects of a concussion—such as brain swelling and reduced blood flow to your brain—could last up to a year after you initially sustain your injury. This could mean that your language, memory, and planning and decision-making skills might not be 100 percent back to normal until then. Seek the help of a professional who can assess you if you are experiencing these symptoms and they are interrupting your daily routines.
After a fall or crash, it’s common to experience some level of shock or even demand that you’re okay. But if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above, it’s best not to keep riding. Instead, figure out how to get out of the situation safely, whether it be calling for a ride home or heading to the hospital. Your reaction time, sense of balance, and thinking can be impaired, and you could have a higher risk to crash again.
It’s never a bad idea to get checked out by a medical professional. Because concussions are so different from person to person, a customized evaluation and treatment plan can really help.
Afterwards, the specialist will test your memory, attention span, vision, balance, and coordination, as well as physically examine your scalp, head, and neck for injuries. Most patients won’t need a CT scan or MRI, but if there are “red-flag” symptoms such as amnesia, loss of vision or consciousness, repeated vomiting, paralysis, seizure, or general unresponsiveness, one may be ordered.
Only after you’ve been cleared by your doctor should you resume any high-risk activities such as cycling, skiing, climbing, or contact sports.
Because concussions change how your brain functions, getting one or more can impact your mental health and well-being. One in five people who suffered a mild TBI reported having PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) up to six months after their injury.
If you or someone you know displays extreme anxiety, impulsivity, ADHD, apathy, and aggression, consult with a mental health care professional.
Wearing a helmet is the number one, most important way to prevent a TBI. Doing so can slash your risk of head injury by 85 percent.
And while helmets can’t always prevent a concussion, they do protect against more severe injuries like brain bleeds.
It was found that wearing a helmet reduced your risk of a facial injury by 33 percent, a head injury by 51 percent, a serious head injury by 69 percent, and a fatal head injury by 65 percent.
Look for a helmet with the Consumer Product Safety Committee (CPSC) sticker inside. This ensures it underwent rigorous testing and will provide protection against skull fractures and other traumatic brain injuries. Helmets with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Snell labels also meet the CPSC standards.
Many helmets offer MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact System) technology, too, which is a technology that helps lessen the force transmitted to your brain upon impact. Finally, check your helmet frequently for wear, correct fit, and coverage.
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