Concussion

[eccc whippet]

I started this thread to highlight concussions...and how serious they are...ie... not to be taken lightly...this time it is different...(never actually "seen stars after an head impact" ) there were stars this time and lots of them...trust me i am listening to the doctor this time.

 

I have been to a doctor and working with the person who takes the cadence classes...the advice was to take it easy for a week...which i have done...on Friday morning i did a low tempo ride on the bike and as expected i didnt feel so great...so i stopped...had a break then tried again...still didnt fell 100 % so i stopped again and had another break...then dropped to low endurance and just turned the pedals...felt ok so i continued at very easy pace....will try another easy low tempo session on monday and see how i feel...if i dont feel right...will stop and take a few more days off. 

 

The reason i asked someone for their professional advice was not for me personally...more to share information with everyone...warn everyone of the implications of a bumping your head while riding a bicycle...and the importance of wearing a helmet. 

 

 

Someone indicated that concussions are cumulative...is this correct? 

[seven]

 

https://cattonline.com/

[lechatnoir]

It may be tempting as it is quick and free, but don't look for medical advice on the Internet, even from a forum where you feel you know the guys. You have absolutely no guarantee of someone's level of qualifications or motives when done on an online public forum.

You won't take legal advice from a random stranger on the net, so why risk your life/health in this way? Especially with this type of injury.

If you are unsure or concerned, go back to see your doctor or get a second opinion (from another doctor face to face).

 

Dr Google... no matter who you are, you're 5 clicks away from dying...

[SuperDooperSnooper]

Dr Google... no matter who you are, you're 5 clicks away from dying...

 

True story ^^^^

[Cippo]

Your skull is there to protect your brain but although there are no physical injuries to your head the sudden deceleration would have caused your brain to strike the inside of your skull due to inertia. Take note of headaches, drowsiness, change in behaviour, un-cordinated movements, nausea and vomiting. The fact that your helmet was broken so badly indicates seriousness of the impact. Seek medical advice and follow it. 

[Grease_Monkey]

My wife has actually been studying concussions and time off before returing to sport, this is apparently the guidelines used by docs. Obviously I am not giving medical advice here.

 

[cfcjim]

So a little bump on the head...whats the big deal...i have had many accident which have resulted in a bump on the head...the worse of them happened while riding a motor bike...as i flew over the top of the car my head caught the roof of the car and i woke up 3 days later in hospital...since then a few bumps here and there...nothing to write home about. 

 

On Sunday last week a little  bump on the head again 30 km into a 64 km race...stopped dead on a tree going down a single track...broke my helmet in 3 places...got back on the bike and finished the last couple km.

 

AT first i felt dizzy and disorientated and my eye sight was blurred...being a cyclist and not a football player...the bike was ok ...so off we went...finished the race and headed home.

 

This week has been a challenging week...i have been to a doctor and listening to the doctor...even taking the medication prescribed and been taking it easy...spent some time on the cadence bike on friday...but it didnt go well.

 

Why i started this thread is to hear from one of the more educated people on the hub with regards to this topic (doctors or experienced medical fundi)

 

share a few tips on what we should do if you have an accident and bump your head...what to look out for...how long should you should stay off the bike...away from high intensity training etc.  

 

the repercussion if any of ignoring the symptoms of a concussion.

To paraphrase Mr Stewart  "Do Not Ignore a Concussion".

 

As RS mentioned, post concussion effects are very traumatic. I'm fortunate (or not) that my partner is a psychologist and made me document my post head injury days right up until the present day.

I cannot say that it helped but what the constant documentation did was make me aware of a previously unnoticed abject obsession with routine

 

It became somewhat debilitating but I was fortunately allowed to target a huge amount of test/result situations which had not been fully resolved.

For clarity, I'm an engineer/research scientist who often has to observe and run a large number of test protocols. It can be tedious in the extreme.

 

Apologies if that sounds like a humblebrag.

 

What I'm trying to say is write a diary, no matter how humdrum it may seem; in a few days, a few weeks, months or even years it may become an useful diagnostic document.

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/171163-cyclist-down-r27-past-black-river-in-paarden-island/

 

Weirdly this made me quite emotional reading it back along with my diary.

 

Get well and be careful.

[cfcjim]

Sorry if I sound like a twat. It's been a long year (so far).

[Mntboy]

I found this to be an interesting article when I first read it. Once again it underlines the importance of taking any head injury or potential head injury seriously.

 

https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/how-tough-tackle-sanctions-impact-the-game/

 

Don't be misled by the article descriptor, it's far more about the importance of the HI Assessment tool match day officials and medical staff have and the need for it to be refined further.

[Stretched@Birth]

My youngest fell on his head a while ago and sustained a fairly serious concussion, was one of the most frightening experiences of my life, seeing this little person calling out for help, not recognizing me or my wife and being completely panicked.

 

We went to the casualty dept, doc checked him out, said all is fine, keep an eye on him and come back if he displays weird symptoms, we got to the car and he asks for mommy, asks where’s daddy when I was holding him, needless to say, mom freaked out, we rushed back inside to look for help. Night in ICU, he woke up the following day with a sore head and a big lump.

[Robbie Stewart]

 

 

 

Someone indicated that concussions are cumulative...is this correct?

 

According to my neurosurgeon, they are, yes. And if you had one, and knock your head again during the recovery, you could end up with severe damage to the brain. Think Mohammed Ali.

[dirtypot]

I had a crash a few weeks ago with a pretty bad concussion - I don't remember going for a ride, nor four hours after the ride.  Apparently I was asking the same questions over and over again and also got lost in the Silvermine car park (there's only one road leading to it so it's hard to get lost) - found this out the next day from someone who pointed me in the right direction.  I eventually went to the hospital about seven hours after the crash after going into shock.  Turns out I had broken my collarbone as the worst of the visible injuries, but the doctors were only interested in this - they didn't care about the concussion at all.  I brought up the concussion the next day with another doctor and again a few days later with the surgeon pre-op.  Nobody cared.  To me this was odd since I can see on the gps data that I didn't move at all for twelve minutes, and clearly had issues after.  Since then I've noticed I have moments of confusion or I'll ask or think of asking a question which I've already asked.  It's a very odd feeling. 

I keep wondering why nothing was done by the doctors when I was at the hospital though.  Is concussion just not taken that seriously here?

This is the second time I've had a bad concussion (the first time I was knocked out for a longer period and had more memory loss) and it's now making me worry about what will happen if it occurs again. 

[gtr1]

I had a fall on the track a year ago. I was unconscious for a good few minutes. Had the necessary scans etc which were clear. But I still suffered from concussion for 2 months. Dizzy spells etc especially when lying down or standing up. 1 doctor said as long as it is not getting worse you are ok. If you start vomiting or get worse, better see a doctor immediately. Another doctor said that if I have another concussion during the year he would recommend at least 6 months of no riding.

 

Apparently concussion on top of a previous concussion extremely serious.

 

As for riding, I had a broken collarbone so couldn't ride for a while. But was advised to not go outdoors until all concussion symptoms were gone. Did get on trainer after about 6 weeks. Didn't seem to make things worse.

 

Bottom line us, I knew things were not great. Then 1 day the dizziness etched just stopped. So go with your gut in terms if riding etc. and err on the cautious side.

Edited August 13, 2018 by gtr1

[eccc whippet]

My father passed away not too long ago...at 86...he was a fit old ballie...walked everywhere because he didnt own a car...slipped on a step one afternoon...11 days later he passed away from what they assume was swelling on the brain.

 

even though it seemed he was recovering from the concussion...he was released from hospital...2 days later he stopped eating...less than 24 hrs later he passed away.

 

Its good to see people responding to this thread and hopefully it will create awareness to everyone who rides a bicycle...or plays contact sports...or even if you just  fall and have a little bump on the head...some interesting links attached worth a read.

 

If you bump your head...make sure you understand all the symptoms of a concussion...no matter how minor they might seem. 

 

i am being very careful with this latest bump to the head...since doing a bit of research into concussions (Dr google) and reading some of the links in this thread ...why because it is different to all the others...something that i have noticed is sleeping in the morning...in the past i could never go back to bed and sleep after a shower in the morning...lately i shower then sleep for at least an hour and a half in the morning....been late for work a few times.

[RocknRolla]

it's ***, and it takes time. It differs from person to person. I personally will err on the side of caution.

[Robbie Stewart]

I suffered from all the symptoms highlighted in red, and 2 years later, the yellow symptoms still linger. It is getting to be less frequent, but have not completely cleared up yet.