Your brain is surrounded in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside your skull. The fluid acts as a shock absorber between the brain and skull, but sometimes this isn’t enough.
Yes, it’s possible to have a concussion even if you don’t hit your head against a physical object. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) resulting in a temporary alteration in brain function due to head trauma.
Anything that causes your brain to move excessively within your skull can cause a concussion.
One common cause of such an injury is whiplash, in which your neck and head forcefully move back and forth, causing your brain tissue to hit or bang against the inside of your skull. Whiplash is a
Other possible causes of concussion without your head hitting something or someone include:
- other sudden stops—including falls—even your head doesn’t hit anything
- high rotational forces, such as rollercoasters
- highly physical sports that require your body to rotate quickly, like gymnastics
- fast movements, such as skydiving, paragliding, and parasailing
Symptoms of a concussion may not be immediately evident, especially if there has not been any outward trauma to your head. They can begin right away, or up to a couple of days after the initial injury.
It’s important to seek medical attention if you have experienced a sudden movement of your neck and head and have the following
- headache
- nausea and vomiting
- light sensitivity, blurred vision, or double vision
- tinnitus (ringing in your ears) or sensitivity to sound
- dizziness or difficulty balancing
- neck pain
- difficulty with concentrating or memory recollection
- drowsiness or fatigue
- interrupted sleep or changed sleep patterns (including getting more or less sleep than usual)
- irritability or mood changes
- loss of consciousness (in about 10% of cases)
A medical professional will first ask you about your symptoms and perform a:
- physical exam, where they check your reflexes, balance and coordination, vision, hearing, strength, and neck muscles
- written or verbal neurological exam, testing your problem-solving skills, memory, and concentration
Tell your medical professional if any part of the exam is difficult or worsened your symptoms. Your medical professional may recommend you get a CT or MRI. These tests would rule out serious complications of a head injury, such as bleeding around your brain. They are not used to diagnose a concussion.
It’s possible to experience a concussion without physically striking your head against another surface. Concussions can occur whenever your brain is jarred and strikes the inside of your skull.
If you think you have a concussion, see a medical professional as soon as possible.