Is It a Cold, the Flu, or Covid?
December is prime time for seasonal respiratory viruses. As a parent, are you ready to identify the health concerns surrounding your child and other family members from cold, flu, or Covid-19? We’re here to help.
My Child Has a Concussion. What Should I Do?
It’s tough when you’re young to gather the words to describe how you’re feeling. As a parent, it’s not likely your child will tell you outright that they’ll have a concussion. Instead, you may hear, “I feel funny” or “I don’t feel right.” They may not connect the way they feel with a bump on the head that occurred hours or days earlier.
Recognizing a concussion is only the first step when your child has an injury. Should you suspect your child has had a head injury, contact us at Dr 2 Kids, Smita Tandon MD. We can examine and diagnose symptoms of a concussion and recommend a followup protocol for you and your child to follow.
Recognizing juvenile concussion symptoms
It may take some observation and guesswork to establish suspicion of a concussion. You’ll likely notice something is off with your child’s behavior. Some the common signs you’ll see include:
- Changes to their awareness, such as confusion or slow responsiveness
- Forgetting things that they’d usually know
- A loss of consciousness, no matter how brief
- Seeming loss of coordination
- Behavior or mood changes
- Forgetfulness about events before or after a fall or hit
Tweens and teens may report additional symptoms such as:
- Headache or head pressure
- Double vision and dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Changes to their sleep patterns
Symptoms can start immediately after an event, or frustratingly, days after the incident.
What a parent should do after a concussion
Before a concussion ever happens, talk to your child about the significance of hitting their head, whether in a fall, playing a sport, or any other activity. Let them know that their brain can be hurt, and it heals in a different way than the rest of the body.
Know when concussions can happen
While sports like football and hockey are obvious activities with concussion risk, other sports that have a risk of accidental contact or increased chance of falling can result in head injuries too.
It’s not just sports though. Head injuries could result from a fall from a bike, a car accident, or even a simple trip that involves head impact. Even everyday living involves concussion risk, and these could happen at the most unexpected times.
Seek medical attention for your child
If there is a known concussion event, or if your child displays symptoms consistent with concussion, get a medical examination as soon as it’s possible. If it’s during office hours, by all means, call Dr. Tandon’s office, but don’t wait to talk to us first. Visit an emergency room or urgent care clinic if necessary.
Wait for medical clearance before resuming risky activities
The road back from concussion is unpredictable. Some children rebound quickly while others don’t, and there’s no connection between length of recovery and severity of the injury. Reinjury is potentially very dangerous if the first concussion isn’t fully healed.
Call or click to make an appointment with Dr 2 Kids, Smita Tandon MD. We’re your partners through your child’s concussion protocol, ready to provide the personalized care that’s often so important with head injuries. We’re here when you need us, so call as soon as possible.
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