Symptoms may show up right away. But some may not start for weeks or even months after the injury.

According to the CDC, the athlete shouldn’t return to play until they are seen by a healthcare provider who is experienced in looking at concussions. When the provider says the athlete no longer has symptoms of a concussion, the athlete can gradually increase activities over time and resume the sport.

Nausea and vomiting, confusion, and vision problems are all possible symptoms of a concussion. You may also have:

• Headache that gets worse
• Dizziness
• Memory loss
• Mood changes
• Seizures

If you have one or more of these symptoms after a head injury, you should seek emergency care. It’s important to remember that a concussion may leave you too confused to make the right decision. Family and friends will need to make sure you get the care you need.

A concussion is a mild form of a traumatic brain injury. It can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. A concussion can be caused by direct injury to the head. Or it can be caused by a blow to the body that causes your head to move back and forth quickly.

Things like school tests that require you to concentrate or focus can actually slow your recovery. To recover, you need to rest both physically and mentally.

Once you have had a concussion you are more likely to have repeated concussions. Having a second concussion within a few hours, days, or weeks after the first can make recovery take longer. The more concussions you have, the greater your chance of having long-term problems.

Wearing a helmet for activities such as skiing, horseback riding, bicycle or motorcycle riding, contact sports, and snowboarding is one of many ways to prevent a concussion. Other ways include:

• Wear a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle
• Properly secure children in car seats
• Don’t drink and drive
• Get rid of things in your home that could cause you to trip

Call your child’s healthcare provider right away or take your child to the emergency department if they:

• Vomits multiple times
• Has a bad headache that gets worse
• Becomes drowsy and is hard to wake up
• Acts different than normal
• Has trouble walking
• Has speech or vision problems
• Has a stiff neck
• Has a seizure
• Has weakness or numbness in any part of the body