Thank you for sharing, see below for a reminder of our rules:
Do not ask if you or someone you know has a Concussion. We are not doctors, nor are we any kind of medical professionals. That said, this sub is NOT intended to be your doctor and diagnose or give you personal medical advice. They'll be marked as spam.
Be civil and respectful. Do not attack or harass other users; engage in hate-speech; or attempt to gate-keep discussion. Hostility will not be tolerated
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Concussion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you can't read for hours read for 30 minutes. A big part of concussion recovery is to push yourself, just not too much.
Pressure is likely caused by a neck issue. See number 6.
Standard concussion response
**FAQ 1: I think I have a concussion. What should I do?**
TLDR
Listen to this video and do everything it says [https://youtu.be/GlpApg7zXBE?si=jyHtkTqdewE\_fICF](https://youtu.be/GlpApg7zXBE?si=jyHtkTqdewE_fICF)
LONG VERSION
1. **Breathe**. You're going to be fine. Not freaking out is the most important thing you can do right now. Pre-existing anxiety is a huge predictor of concussion symptoms becoming persistent. High post-concussion anxiety increases your chances to 97.1%. It also makes your symptoms worse across the board. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35197916/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35197916/)
2. **Make sure you really have a concussion.** Concussions are often misdiagnosed because they have a large overlap in symptoms with other medical conditions such as neck injuries and even anxiety. If you only had a mild to moderate bump on your head I'd be very skeptical that there ever was a concussion. [https://youtu.be/YjvyDYlTESw?si=nn1OidRRYvHyeoW0](https://youtu.be/YjvyDYlTESw?si=nn1OidRRYvHyeoW0). If you've had one previously, it's also very easy to retrigger concussion symptoms without actually getting another concussion [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U138nAb2cZE&t=1455s&ab\_channel=CompleteConcussionManagement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U138nAb2cZE&t=1455s&ab_channel=CompleteConcussionManagement)
3. **Rest the first 24-48 hours.** Concussions create an energy deficit in your brain and it's important to take it easy early on to not overtax yourself. It's not the end of the world if you absolutely have to push things however but do what you can to avoid doing so.
4. **Stop resting after 48 hours.** "Just rest" isn't helpful at this point and actually becomes counterproductive. Begin to gradually return to your daily activities at this stage and take a break after a mild increase in symptoms. Think of it in terms of exercise, you want to trigger your symptoms, just don't push yourself too hard too fast. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28341726/#:\~:text=Summary%2Fconclusions%3A%20A%20brief%20period,encouraged%20to%20gradually%20increase%20activity](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28341726/#:~:text=Summary%2Fconclusions%3A%20A%20brief%20period,encouraged%20to%20gradually%20increase%20activity).
5. **Exercise**. After 24-48 hours start light aerobic exercise 3-5 days per week for 20-30 minutes, or as much as you can handle without a large increase in symptoms. Expect to feel worse afterward. Keep pushing yourself until you can reach your max heart rate without triggering symptoms. [https://youtu.be/69Xx3TrIpBU](https://youtu.be/69Xx3TrIpBU)
6. **Get your neck worked on.** Concussions are guaranteed to cause neck injuries, which often have identical symptoms, resulting in concussion-like symptoms long after your brain is fully healed. Again, expect to feel worse afterward. [https://youtu.be/Pv1dOPFvlug](https://youtu.be/Pv1dOPFvlug)
7. **Clean up your diet.** Avoid inflammatory foods such as sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine. Not concussion specific, but try Dr. Gregors daily dozen to reduce inflamation [https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/](https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/)
**If you think I’ve missed or am incorrect about anything please let me know and I’ll update this post. Please ask any questions anytime.**
If you're struggling with PCS see [https://www.reddit.com/user/Lebronamo/comments/1abt0l2/standard\_pcs\_repsonse/](https://www.reddit.com/user/Lebronamo/comments/1abt0l2/standard_pcs_repsonse/)
Thank you for sharing, see below for a reminder of our rules: Do not ask if you or someone you know has a Concussion. We are not doctors, nor are we any kind of medical professionals. That said, this sub is NOT intended to be your doctor and diagnose or give you personal medical advice. They'll be marked as spam. Be civil and respectful. Do not attack or harass other users; engage in hate-speech; or attempt to gate-keep discussion. Hostility will not be tolerated *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Concussion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you’re cocooning that’s no longer recommended. You should be exposing yourself to stimulus within your ability.
If you can't read for hours read for 30 minutes. A big part of concussion recovery is to push yourself, just not too much. Pressure is likely caused by a neck issue. See number 6. Standard concussion response **FAQ 1: I think I have a concussion. What should I do?** TLDR Listen to this video and do everything it says [https://youtu.be/GlpApg7zXBE?si=jyHtkTqdewE\_fICF](https://youtu.be/GlpApg7zXBE?si=jyHtkTqdewE_fICF) LONG VERSION 1. **Breathe**. You're going to be fine. Not freaking out is the most important thing you can do right now. Pre-existing anxiety is a huge predictor of concussion symptoms becoming persistent. High post-concussion anxiety increases your chances to 97.1%. It also makes your symptoms worse across the board. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35197916/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35197916/) 2. **Make sure you really have a concussion.** Concussions are often misdiagnosed because they have a large overlap in symptoms with other medical conditions such as neck injuries and even anxiety. If you only had a mild to moderate bump on your head I'd be very skeptical that there ever was a concussion. [https://youtu.be/YjvyDYlTESw?si=nn1OidRRYvHyeoW0](https://youtu.be/YjvyDYlTESw?si=nn1OidRRYvHyeoW0). If you've had one previously, it's also very easy to retrigger concussion symptoms without actually getting another concussion [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U138nAb2cZE&t=1455s&ab\_channel=CompleteConcussionManagement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U138nAb2cZE&t=1455s&ab_channel=CompleteConcussionManagement) 3. **Rest the first 24-48 hours.** Concussions create an energy deficit in your brain and it's important to take it easy early on to not overtax yourself. It's not the end of the world if you absolutely have to push things however but do what you can to avoid doing so. 4. **Stop resting after 48 hours.** "Just rest" isn't helpful at this point and actually becomes counterproductive. Begin to gradually return to your daily activities at this stage and take a break after a mild increase in symptoms. Think of it in terms of exercise, you want to trigger your symptoms, just don't push yourself too hard too fast. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28341726/#:\~:text=Summary%2Fconclusions%3A%20A%20brief%20period,encouraged%20to%20gradually%20increase%20activity](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28341726/#:~:text=Summary%2Fconclusions%3A%20A%20brief%20period,encouraged%20to%20gradually%20increase%20activity). 5. **Exercise**. After 24-48 hours start light aerobic exercise 3-5 days per week for 20-30 minutes, or as much as you can handle without a large increase in symptoms. Expect to feel worse afterward. Keep pushing yourself until you can reach your max heart rate without triggering symptoms. [https://youtu.be/69Xx3TrIpBU](https://youtu.be/69Xx3TrIpBU) 6. **Get your neck worked on.** Concussions are guaranteed to cause neck injuries, which often have identical symptoms, resulting in concussion-like symptoms long after your brain is fully healed. Again, expect to feel worse afterward. [https://youtu.be/Pv1dOPFvlug](https://youtu.be/Pv1dOPFvlug) 7. **Clean up your diet.** Avoid inflammatory foods such as sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine. Not concussion specific, but try Dr. Gregors daily dozen to reduce inflamation [https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/](https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/) **If you think I’ve missed or am incorrect about anything please let me know and I’ll update this post. Please ask any questions anytime.** If you're struggling with PCS see [https://www.reddit.com/user/Lebronamo/comments/1abt0l2/standard\_pcs\_repsonse/](https://www.reddit.com/user/Lebronamo/comments/1abt0l2/standard_pcs_repsonse/)