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DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person bumped or hit their head and now has headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, or just does not feel right — but they are awake and talking.
The essentials if you need to act right now.
Stop activity. Rest quietly. Watch for vomiting or confusion. Call 112 if worse.
What might I see? Observable signs — no diagnosis required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Headache, dizziness, nausea, or trouble concentrating after a head bump.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Sensitivity to light or noise, balance problems, or feeling foggy.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Danger signs: repeated vomiting, one pupil bigger, seizure, or cannot wake fully.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Person was knocked out, even for a few seconds.
Optional deeper explanation — not required to act.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A concussion is a brain shake-up from a blow or jolt. Symptoms may appear right away or over the next hours.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — "Mild" does not mean harmless — the brain still needs time to heal.
Check the scene before you approach.
Civilian-safe actions you can take.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Remove them from the game, workplace, or road — no more hits or falls.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Have them sit or lie down in a quiet place.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Ask what happened and whether they remember the event.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — No phones, TV, or loud noise for the first few hours.
When and how to get professional help.
Seek urgent care if they were unconscious, vomit repeatedly, have a severe headache, or symptoms worsen.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You cannot diagnose a concussion at home. Focus on rest, monitoring, and knowing when to call for help.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112 if they vomit more than once, become hard to wake, have a seizure, or one arm or leg becomes weak.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — For non-emergency guidance, contact a doctor or go to urgent care the same day.
Dangerous actions, when not to attempt rescue, and common myths.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT let them return to sports or work the same day — "playing through it" risks second impact.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT give aspirin or blood thinners unless a doctor already prescribed them.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT leave them alone to sleep for the first several hours if symptoms are significant.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You must keep a concussion patient awake all night
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Brief checks are enough. Normal sleep is okay if danger signs are absent and someone can monitor them.
Other scenarios in the same family.
Severe head injury
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A person hit their head hard — from a fall, crash, blow, or object — and is confused, vomiting, bleeding, or not responding normally.
Spinal injury
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — After a fall, crash, dive, or blow, the person has neck or back pain, tingling, weakness, or cannot feel or move parts of the body.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Check every 15-30 minutes — are they more confused, sleepy, or sick?
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Someone responsible should stay with them for several hours.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Any loss of consciousness, worsening headache, or repeated vomiting needs emergency evaluation.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Children, older adults, and people on blood thinners should be checked by a doctor even for mild bumps.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Exhaustion and anxiety without improving safety.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If there is no bump on the head, there is no concussion
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Concussions happen from brain movement inside the skull — visible bruising is not required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Ignoring symptoms because the scalp looks fine.