What are the signs and symptoms of concussion?

Concussion in Sport Australia brings together the most contemporary evidence-based information on concussion for athletes, parents, teachers, coaches and medical practitioners

What are the signs and symptoms of concussion?The signs of concussion vary and may be difficult to detect. For example athletes may:
appear normal apart from appearing vacant, dazed or stunned
be disoriented and unable to recall team plays, scores, who the opponent is or be disoriented in terms of place and time
ask repeatedly about what happened or what the score is; amnesia is common
have difficulty concentrating and answering specific questions.
Loss of consciousness, seizure or balance difficulties are clear signs that an athlete has sustained a significant injury. Urgent medical support is critical in these circumstances.
Symptoms of concussion can be very subtle and may present as nothing more than the athlete reporting that they do not ‘feel right’. Concussed athletes often report these symptoms:
visual disturbance
feeling ‘foggy’, lethargic or slow
having sensitivity to light or noise
feeling dizzy or nauseous
headache.
Athletes need to be alert for evidence that a teammate or competitor is behaving unusually or out of character, exhibits signs of disorientation, clumsiness or loss of balance.
Critical symptoms/signs
Obvious symptoms/signs
Subtle symptoms/signs
Neck pain
Increasing confusion, agitation or irritability
Repeated vomiting
Seizure or convulsion
Weakness or tingling/burning in the arms or legs
Deteriorating conscious state
Severe or increasing headache
Unusual behavioural change
Double vision
Loss of consciousness
No protective action in fall to ground directly observed or on video
Seizure or jerky movements after a knock
Confusion, disorientation
Memory impairment
Unsteady on feet or balance problems
Athlete reports significant, new or progressive concussion symptoms
Dazed or looking blank/vacant
Changed behaviour – may be more irritable agitated, anxious or emotional than normal
Headache
‘Pressure in the head’
Neck pain
Nausea or vomiting
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Balance problems
Sensitivity to light
Sensitivity to noise
Feeling slowed down
Feeling like ‘in a fog’
‘Don’t feel right’
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty remembering
Fatigue or low energy
Confusion
Drowsiness
More emotional
Irritability
Sadness
Nervous or anxious
Trouble falling asleep (if applicable)
If an athlete displays these symptoms/signs they may have a more serious injury. They should be immediately taken to the nearest emergency department.

What are the signs and symptoms of concussion?

What are the signs and symptoms of concussion?

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Critical symptoms/signs	Obvious symptoms/signs	Subtle symptoms/signs
Neck pain Increasing confusion, agitation or irritability Repeated vomiting Seizure or convulsion Weakness or tingling/burning in the arms or legs Deteriorating conscious state Severe or increasing headache Unusual behavioural change Double vision	Loss of consciousness No protective action in fall to ground directly observed or on video Seizure or jerky movements after a knock Confusion, disorientation Memory impairment Unsteady on feet or balance problems Athlete reports significant, new or progressive concussion symptoms Dazed or looking blank/vacant Changed behaviour – may be more irritable agitated, anxious or emotional than normal	Headache ‘Pressure in the head’ Neck pain Nausea or vomiting Dizziness Blurred vision Balance problems Sensitivity to light Sensitivity to noise Feeling slowed down Feeling like ‘in a fog’ ‘Don’t feel right’ Difficulty concentrating Difficulty remembering Fatigue or low energy Confusion Drowsiness More emotional Irritability Sadness Nervous or anxious Trouble falling asleep (if applicable)
If an athlete displays these symptoms/signs they may have a more serious injury. They should be immediately taken to the nearest emergency department.