Neurologist Questions Neurologist

Do I have a concussion?

I went to the gym yesterday and got hit with an 8lb medicine ball while doing floor workouts. I felt dizzy for the first hour then had a headache all night and woke up with a light headache.

Female | 19 years old
Complaint duration: 1 day
Medications: tylenol
Conditions: none

4 Answers

NeurologistNeurologist
Unenhanced CT scan of the head is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of acute moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with symptoms including headache, nausea, confusion, dizziness, balance loss, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, and ringing sensations in the ears. MRI of the brain without contrast is imaging modality of choice for mTBI with symptoms persisting over 10-14 days.
Yes it is possible that you have a concussion
I don't think you had a concussion. You did not lose consciousness but were shaken, and you don't have neurological deficits. Your headaches are likely from the direct impact to the head and should resolve over 3 months but flare-ups may occur I think you will be fine but if you have any severe worsening of any symptoms, can go to ER to get a CT head to make sure.
It is always possible you may have sustained a mild concussion, however, the object responsible for the trauma is very lightweight, so I tend to doubt this diagnosis. Nevertheless, should your symptoms persist or worsen, this would suggest a more severe injury. If you do experience the changes above, I would strongly advise you to visit an Emergency room for further evaluation, which should include a head Cat Scan to check for any internal bleeding, particularly an epidural hematoma.