What are the Symptoms of a Concussion?

Concussions are common in contact sports.

According to Dr. Neal Alpiner, a pediatric concussion specialist, 1.6 million youths (younger than 18) get a concussion every year. That number increases to 3 million when the age is raised to include all people younger than 30.

"We want to teach people want to look for," said Alpiner, who conducts through Health Systems.

He lists the common symptoms of a concussion on his website. They are:

• Somatic symptoms: headaches, dizziness, nausea, sensory irritability (bothered by lights, noises, touch), neck pain, feeling of being “off,” balance issues, fatigue.
• Mood disruption: irritable, depressed, anxious, easily angered, wants to be left alone, seems to be in a “bad mood.”
• Sleep alteration: loss of productive sleep, difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, having frequent awakenings or excessive sleepiness.
• Cognitive symptoms: fogginess, poor school performance, deterioration of grades, difficulty getting along with others, memory changes, attention/concentration issues, impulsive.

More on Concussions

• 6 Myths: Young Athletes and Concussions
• Program Gives Athletes the Heads-Up on Concussions