What Happens If You Don’t Get Treatment for a Concussion?

As board-certified orthopedists who specialize in sports medicine, our Sports Medicine Oregon team in Tigard and Wilsonville, Oregon, strives to help athletes and active people of all ages stay injury-free and in the game. And when sports injuries do happen, we know that prompt care is key to: 

• Faster injury healing

• An optimized recovery 

• Preventing re-injury

• Avoiding complications

This is especially true when it comes to concussion injuries. 

Let’s take a closer look at the effects of this mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) — and how it can lead to worsening symptoms and serious complications when it’s left untreated. 

Understanding concussion injuries

A concussion happens when an external force — often resulting from a jarring fall, with or without a direct hit to the head — compels your brain to bounce, shift, or twist inside your skull. 

This can stretch, bruise, and damage the organ’s cells, nerves, and blood vessels, triggering chemical changes that lead to temporary abnormal brain function. 

Statistics 

Concussion is a common injury, especially among team sports players, and in particular among youth athletes. Up to three million people visit the ER for concussion evaluation and care each year in the United States, and among kids aged five to 18, concussion accounts for about half of all ER visits in a given year.

Symptoms

Head pain and pressure, along with nausea or vomiting, are among the most common concussion symptoms early on. Other mTBI effects fall into four basic categories:

Physical 

Sensitivity to light and noise, dizziness, balance problems, easy fatigue, and vision changes are all possible physical effects of concussion.   

Cognitive 

A concussion can leave you feeling confused, forgetful, and mentally “foggy,” making it hard to pay attention and think clearly.  

Emotional 

A concussion injury can give rise to anxiety, irritability, and easy anger. It can also make you feel sad, or more emotional than usual.  

Sleep

Trouble falling asleep and sleeping less than or more than usual are a few ways concussion can trigger sleep pattern changes. 

Prognosis

With prompt diagnosis and proper management, most concussions resolve within one month. Concussion care involves an initial period of near-total physical and mental rest, followed by a gradual return to activity — backing off if an activity triggers symptoms. Continued follow-up care for new or worsening symptoms is vital. 

When a concussion goes untreated

Concussions are considered “mild” traumatic brain injuries because they typically aren’t life-threatening. Even so, their effects can be quite serious — and even more so if the injury goes undiagnosed and untreated. 

Possible complications of an untreated concussion include:

Prolonged concussion symptoms

When rest, healing, and recovery aren’t the central focus following a concussion injury, your brain can become easily overstressed. Symptoms like headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, and sensitivity to light and sound are likely to intensify and persist — lasting for several weeks without improvement.

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS)

Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) occurs when symptoms from an untreated concussion persist for months or even years after the initial injury. PCS requires a multidisciplinary care approach (i.e., physical therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, medication, counseling) as well as long-term support. 

Second impact syndrome (SIS)

If you “get back in the game” before a concussion has healed, you have a much higher risk of sustaining a second, more serious concussion — even with a mild fall or hit to the head. 

Known as second impact syndrome (SIS), a second concussion that comes on the heels of an initial mTBI can make it much harder for your brain to heal and repair itself, potentially causing leaky blood vessels, ongoing inflammation, and other types of damage that lead to long-term symptoms and complications. 

Long-lasting cognitive impairments

When an untreated concussion leads to an incomplete recovery, the unhealed damage can disrupt brain function, leading to ongoing difficulties with memory, concentration, and focus. They can also cause mood and personality changes — including irritability, anxiety, depression, and anger.   

Risk of future neurodegeneration

Emerging research suggests that even just a single untreated concussion — as well as repeated brain trauma — may increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions later in life, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease. 

Protect your brain with prompt care

Minimizing your risk of complications following a concussion comes down to three things: Early diagnosis, proper recovery management, and decisive follow-up care. We can help with every aspect of your treatment — call or click to schedule a visit at Sports Medicine Oregon in Tigard or Wilsonville, Oregon, today.