Concussion: Common Questions
A traumatic brain injury causing temporary disruption of brain function.
Last revised
Concussion: the questions people actually ask, answered from published guidance.
Key takeaways
- Loss of consciousness: not required for a concussion
- If suspected: immediate removal from play, same day
- Most useful single change: Remove from play immediately and do not return the same day.
- Commonest mistake: Returning to sport the same day after a head impact.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
What is Concussion?
A traumatic brain injury causing temporary disruption of brain function.
Why does it matter?
Returning to activity too early risks prolonged symptoms and, rarely, catastrophic second-impact injury.
Loss of consciousness for Concussion?
Not required for a concussion.
If suspected for Concussion?
Immediate removal from play, same day.
Return to activity for Concussion?
Via a graduated protocol, not straight back.
Most recover for Concussion?
Within weeks, but a minority take longer.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Remove from play immediately and do not return the same day.
What is the most common mistake?
Returning to sport the same day after a head impact.
When should I see a doctor?
Call 999 for loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, worsening headache, a seizure, weakness or numbness, clear fluid from the nose or ears, unequal pupils, increasing drowsiness or confusion after a head injury. Anyone on anticoagulants who hits their head needs urgent assessment regardless of how they feel.
Where to go next
- Why Concussion Matters, Explained Simply
- A Working Checklist for Concussion
- Concussion — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Sleep and the Brain
- Cognitive Activity: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to get help
Call 999 for loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, worsening headache, a seizure, weakness or numbness, clear fluid from the nose or ears, unequal pupils, increasing drowsiness or confusion after a head injury. Anyone on anticoagulants who hits their head needs urgent assessment regardless of how they feel.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
