After you experience an injury of any kind, it is very easy to become overwhelmed or confused as to what you should do next or which steps you should take. This is why doctors and hospitals give written discharge instructions; so you don’t forget anything. When you experience a brain injury or concussion, it is even easier to become confused or overwhelmed.
Even if your instructions are written down, they may be difficult to understand simply because confusion is a side effect of concussion. They may be hard to decipher because reading and concentrating both make your head hurt. Finally, you might misplace the discharge instructions and forget what your aftercare directives are. For this reason alone, it is very important that you have a responsible adult help you during your recovery period.
Whether you are the one with the concussion, or whether it is a loved one whom you are caring for, it is of utmost importance that you (or your loved one) seek out the best possible concussion doctor in your area. You don’t want to take chances with the health of your brain. It is precious and if there is any area of health care that you don’t want to cut corners or skimp on, it is definitely concussion care.
After you experience a concussion, it is important that you allow your bruised brain time to rest and heal. This can be incredibly boring, but you must follow the instructions given to you precisely. If you fail to do so, you are taking a chance to prolong your recovery or risk reinjuring your brain. Do you know why recovery time can be considered dreadfully dull? In order to allow your brain to rest and heal, you should not make it work very much. Clearly your brain is always at work and is never perfectly at rest, but after a concussion you must give the brain some much-needed down time. This means you should not read books or magazines, or use a computer, tablet or cell phone.
You should not play video games or watch TV. If you are a crafty sort of person, you cannot do any handwork such as knitting, crocheting or sewing. You cannot pass the time with word searches or other puzzle books. Basically anything that makes the brain work or concentrate, or makes your eyes work hard is too taxing for your injured brain. You should rest, and have someone wake you up every few hours to make sure you’re not sleeping too much. It can be helpful to set up camp on a couch in your living room during the day.
Do not take part in physical activity or exercise. Simply lay on the couch and rest. Turn on soothing music if desired, but nothing too fast or popular, because you don’t want to start bobbing your head or dancing in case you hurt yourself. You can turn on the TV for background noise, but do not watch it. It is important for your brain’s health that you follow your doctor’s specific instructions.