What Can Happen If You Don't Properly Treat A Concussion?

When you hit your head, it's always wise to head to an urgent care center or emergency room and get yourself checked out. You do not have to hit your head very hard to suffer a concussion, and when concussions are not treated properly, you can really suffer the consequences. Here's a look at what can happen if you do not treat a concussion:

Fatigue and Nausea

In the best-case scenario, if you do not realize you have a concussion and thus do not take the steps to treat it properly, you may just feel fatigued and nauseous for a few days of weeks. This is because the brain has been injured -- and therefore its capacity to regulate your body's processes has been diminished. You feel sluggish as your body works on healing the injury, and the nausea is often due to slight visual disturbances that occur when you have a concussion. Sometimes the visual disturbances may be so pronounced that they make you feel dizzy.

Depression

A concussion can make you feel depressed, sometimes for months on end if you do not treat it properly at the onset. And depression can have a profoundly negative impact on your life, causing you to miss activities you love, spend more time in bed, and ruin relationships with people you love. Properly treating a concussion can help keep depression from setting in, or at least decrease how long it lasts.

Some people even experience other changes in mood, such as increased aggression or emotional outbursts, after a concussion. The chances of these changes increases if you don't get treatment.

Memory Difficulties

You may have trouble remembering things that happened in the past or even forming new memories following a concussion -- and especially if you don't get treatment promptly. These effects are usually temporary, but occasionally they are lifelong or last for a few months. Some people also have trouble with reasoning or learning new information following a concussion.

Concussion treatment is not painful or intense. Usually, you'll be told to spend a certain amount of time resting and avoiding exposure to bright lights. You may be given medications to ease the swelling in your brain and prevent symptoms from getting worse. Make sure you don't avoid treatment if you have hit your head and may have a concussion. Have someone drive you to the doctor's office and then back home -- with proper treatment, you'll feel like yourself again and be able to return to normal activities soon.

Contact an urgent care facility in your area for more information and assistance.