Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
During Recovery
Monitoring
Post-Concussion Syndrome
Concussion recovery time varies, but most people with minor concussions can go back to work, school, and other activities in a few days or weeks.However, for some people, concussion recovery takes longer, and symptoms may persist for weeks or months.
nicoletaionescu / Getty Images
How Long After Hitting Head Can Concussion Symptoms Start?Concussion symptoms usually show up soon after thehead injuryhappens, but some symptoms might not happen for hours or days, making it difficult to know right away how serious the concussion is.For example, you might feel dazed or have a headache only a few minutes after a head injury, but trouble sleeping or mood changes might take days to surface. Check forsymptoms of head traumaimmediately after a head injury and for several days afterward, and talk to a healthcare provider if symptoms get worse.
How Long After Hitting Head Can Concussion Symptoms Start?
Concussion symptoms usually show up soon after thehead injuryhappens, but some symptoms might not happen for hours or days, making it difficult to know right away how serious the concussion is.For example, you might feel dazed or have a headache only a few minutes after a head injury, but trouble sleeping or mood changes might take days to surface. Check forsymptoms of head traumaimmediately after a head injury and for several days afterward, and talk to a healthcare provider if symptoms get worse.
Concussion symptoms usually show up soon after thehead injuryhappens, but some symptoms might not happen for hours or days, making it difficult to know right away how serious the concussion is.
For example, you might feel dazed or have a headache only a few minutes after a head injury, but trouble sleeping or mood changes might take days to surface. Check forsymptoms of head traumaimmediately after a head injury and for several days afterward, and talk to a healthcare provider if symptoms get worse.
During Concussion Recovery
How to Support Healing
Make sure you get plenty of rest to support recovery and healing.This includes both taking naps or breaks to rest during the day as well as getting enough sleep at night. Talk to a healthcare provider about medication to help with any headaches that come up as you recover.
What to Avoid
To help you recover, your healthcare provider will likely tell you to avoid some physical activities and sports.As challenging as this can be for athletes and exercise enthusiasts, it’s crucial to avoid any further injury to the brain and allow time for the brain to get back to its normal functioning.
It’s also best to limit or avoid activities requiring you to concentrate a lot, such as taking tests or doing tasks requiring intense focus.
Taking Time Off Work or School Is Important but DifficultWhile it’s important to take time off work or school, or at least scale back, this can be difficult and even not feasible if you have limited sick time, need to work to support a family, or otherwise have less flexibility to take time to heal.Talk to a healthcare provider for support in communicating your needs with your employer or school. They may be able to connect you with other resources to help you get the accommodations you need.
Taking Time Off Work or School Is Important but Difficult
While it’s important to take time off work or school, or at least scale back, this can be difficult and even not feasible if you have limited sick time, need to work to support a family, or otherwise have less flexibility to take time to heal.Talk to a healthcare provider for support in communicating your needs with your employer or school. They may be able to connect you with other resources to help you get the accommodations you need.
While it’s important to take time off work or school, or at least scale back, this can be difficult and even not feasible if you have limited sick time, need to work to support a family, or otherwise have less flexibility to take time to heal.
Talk to a healthcare provider for support in communicating your needs with your employer or school. They may be able to connect you with other resources to help you get the accommodations you need.
While getting plenty of rest is the standard treatment for concussions, you may be able to handle small amounts of exercise during recovery. Recent research has shown that limited physical activity during concussion recovery may help you recover faster.
In addition to light exercise, it might also be acceptable to engage in light mental activities after the first couple of days of recovery.These activities may even help you recover so long as they don’t worsen symptoms. Examples of mental activities include vision or balance exercises.Ask a healthcare provider about brain games or mental exercises to help aid your recovery.
You may be able to return to your normal activities as concussion symptoms subside, but always check with a healthcare provider about when it’s safe to return to normal based on your situation. You may need a medical exam before participating in activities or sports that have the potential for contact or head injury.
If you still have concussion symptoms a few days after your head injury or those symptoms get worse, it’s time to talk to a healthcare provider.They recommend that you see a concussion specialist for monitoring and treatment.
As concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury, it’s important to monitor symptoms and take the recovery process seriously. Call your healthcare provider immediately or go to the emergency room if the following symptoms occur after a head injury:
These symptoms may indicate a more serious issue that requires immediate medical attention.
Who Gets Post-Concussion Syndrome?
Most people with a concussion will not have post-concussion syndrome. Estimates of post-concussion syndrome range from 5 % to 30% of people diagnosed with a concussion.
Risk factors for post-concussion syndrome include:
Concussion symptoms that last more than three months may indicate post-concussion syndrome and should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
Management and treatment of post-concussion syndrome may include a variety of different therapies with an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, such as physical therapists, vision therapists, and vestibular therapists (balance therapy), among others.
Summary
Concussion recovery usually takes a few days or weeks but can last longer. Concussion recovery times vary based on several factors, such as the severity and type of concussion symptoms, individual medical history, and how soon after a concussion medical care is received.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What to do after a mild TBI or concussion.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of concussion.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Concussion.Lempke LB, Teel EF, Lynall RC, et al.Early exercise is associated with faster concussion recovery among collegiate athletes: findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.Sports Medicine. 2023;53(10):1987-1999. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01861-wMichigan News: University of Michigan.Exercise is medicine: get moving after a concussion to heal faster.CHOC Children’s.Concussion home exercises: visual.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Concussion.Concussion Legacy Foundation.What is PCS?Concussion Legacy Foundation.PCS risk factors.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What to do after a mild TBI or concussion.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of concussion.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Concussion.Lempke LB, Teel EF, Lynall RC, et al.Early exercise is associated with faster concussion recovery among collegiate athletes: findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.Sports Medicine. 2023;53(10):1987-1999. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01861-wMichigan News: University of Michigan.Exercise is medicine: get moving after a concussion to heal faster.CHOC Children’s.Concussion home exercises: visual.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Concussion.Concussion Legacy Foundation.What is PCS?Concussion Legacy Foundation.PCS risk factors.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What to do after a mild TBI or concussion.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of concussion.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Concussion.Lempke LB, Teel EF, Lynall RC, et al.Early exercise is associated with faster concussion recovery among collegiate athletes: findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.Sports Medicine. 2023;53(10):1987-1999. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01861-wMichigan News: University of Michigan.Exercise is medicine: get moving after a concussion to heal faster.CHOC Children’s.Concussion home exercises: visual.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Concussion.Concussion Legacy Foundation.What is PCS?Concussion Legacy Foundation.PCS risk factors.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What to do after a mild TBI or concussion.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Signs and symptoms of concussion.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Concussion.
Lempke LB, Teel EF, Lynall RC, et al.Early exercise is associated with faster concussion recovery among collegiate athletes: findings from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.Sports Medicine. 2023;53(10):1987-1999. doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01861-w
Michigan News: University of Michigan.Exercise is medicine: get moving after a concussion to heal faster.
CHOC Children’s.Concussion home exercises: visual.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Concussion.
Concussion Legacy Foundation.What is PCS?
Concussion Legacy Foundation.PCS risk factors.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
