Understanding Concussion Symptoms

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Concussions can affect various systems in your body, each showing different symptoms. Below is a breakdown of symptoms based on the affected areas:

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• Autonomic Symptoms:

  • Physical: Dizziness, fainting, chest pain, heart palpitations, headaches, stomach pain, muscle/joint pain, unstable joints, discoloration of hands and feet.

  • Mental: Brain fog, anxiety, depression.

  • Others: Fatigue, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting.

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• Oculomotor/Visual Symptoms:

  • Blurry vision, double vision, light sensitivity, poor spatial awareness.

  • Common feelings: Brain fog, dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to motion.

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• Affective Symptoms:

  • Emotional: Anxiety, depression, irritability, increased emotionality, nervousness, restlessness, sadness.

  • Cognitive: Confusion, easily stressed.

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• Cognitive Symptoms:

  • Confusion, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness.

  • Mental processing: Memory loss, mental fog, repeating questions, slow processing.

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• Headache Symptoms:

  • New or significantly worsened moderate to severe headaches or migraines.

  • Associated symptoms: Nausea, sensitivity to light (photophobia), or sound (phonophobia).

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• Cervical/Somatic Symptoms:

  • Balance problems, neck pain, numbness/tingling, poor body awareness.

  • Sensory changes: Changes in smell, and metallic taste.

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• Vestibular Symptoms:

  • Mental: Brain fog, dazedness, slowness.

  • Physical: Headaches, nausea, poor balance, poor coordination, vertigo.

  • Sensory: Ringing in the ears, sound sensitivity.

  • Environmental: Feeling overwhelmed in crowds, anxiety in the car.

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• Combined Symptoms:

  • The interconnected nature of brain regions means a dysfunction in one area can affect others, causing a variety of symptoms that may appear unrelated and can vary widely among individuals.

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