When do concussions go away

Call a doctor if you have headaches that get worse or other problems that don't go away. If your doctor says to stay home from school or work for a few days, do it — no matter what else you have going on. Don't let anyone pressure you into something that doesn't fit in with your healing plan. Your doctor may want you to do some or all of these things: Rest your body.

Your doctor will tell you to avoid sports and some physical activities until your concussion is completely healed. While you still have symptoms like a headache, trouble seeing well, or changes in mood , you'll need to limit yourself to staying home to sleep or sit quietly.

You'll only do the basic things in life, like eating. This puts less stress on your brain so you avoid hurting it again. When all your symptoms are gone, you should return to physical activities slowly.

Rest your mind. As well as resting your body to prevent physical injury, your doctor might tell you to avoid any cognitive thinking activity that makes your symptoms worse.

Resting your mind includes not looking at the screens on computers, cellphones, TVs, or other devices. Your doctor will probably also tell you to avoid schoolwork, reading, or anything else that might strain your eyes and mind. If these activities do not make your symptoms worse, you can start them again gradually, but you should stop immediately if any symptoms return.

Some activities, like watching sports or playing video games, are especially bad for you because they require a lot of eye movement. Your doctor will probably tell you to stay away from these for a while. Eat well. Avoid bright lights and loud noises. These can make concussion symptoms worse. Most concussions are healed within a week.

However, if you start to experience symptoms again or if you are still experiencing symptoms after 10 days, you should contact your doctor to determine the cause. You should also talk with your doctor about returning to sports or other activities that could cause another head injury. In some cases, you may need to wait about weeks before resuming these activities to ensure you do not get a second head injury.

Kashouty, a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology ABPN , practices general neurology with fellowship trained specialization in clinical neurophysiology. Kashouty finds the form and function of the nerves and muscles the most interesting part of neurology, which is what led him to specialize in neurophysiology with more emphasis on neuromuscular conditions. He treats all neurological diseases, but his main focus is to treat and manage headaches , movement disorders and neuromuscular diseases.

Care Credit. Patient Portal. Make a Payment. Premier Neurology and Wellness Center. In many cases, both physical damage of brain trauma and emotional reactions to these effects play a role in the development of symptoms.

However, some research shows that certain factors are more common in people who develop persistent post-concussive symptoms compared with those who don't. These factors include a history of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, significant life stressors, a poor social support system and lack of coping skills.

More research is still needed to better understand how and why persistent post-concussive symptoms happen after some injuries and not others. The only known way to prevent the development of persistent post-concussive symptoms is to avoid the head injury in the first place. Although you can't prepare for every potential situation, here are some tips for avoiding common causes of head injuries:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

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Overview Persistent post-concussive symptoms, also called post-concussion syndrome, occurs when concussion symptoms last beyond the expected recovery period after the initial injury. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Smith ST.

Postconcussion syndrome: An overview for clinicians. Psychiatric Annals. Mullally WJ. The American Journal of Medicine. In press.