Blow to the head or concussion

Information about contusion of the head or concussion (commotio) in English

About your visit

You have hit your head, and there is a risk that you have or will have concussion. Symptoms of a concussion may appear up to 24 hours after you have hit your head.

Most people suffering from concussion will fully recover within one to two weeks and suffer no ill effects.

When you get home

Avoid being alone for the first 24 hours

It is important that you are together with another adult for the first 24 hours. It is also important that they read this pamphlet.
They should keep an eye on you and make sure you are behaving as normal. They can also wake you up 2-3 times during the night to check that you react as normal.

Expect headaches and other mild symptoms

It is normal to experience the following:

headaches
nausea and vomiting
dizziness
trouble concentrating
fatigue
memory loss.

If you experience one or several of these symptoms, be sure to rest and avoid mental exertion.

Dial 1813 for the medical helpline if your condition deteriorates

In very rare cases, you may begin to feel worse after arriving home. Dial 1813 immediately for the medical helpline if you develop one or several of the following symptoms:

intense headache
increasing headache
increasing fatigue coupled with increased need to sleep
restlessness and strange behaviour.

Dial 112 if you develop one or several of the following symptoms:

Dial 112 if:

you are hard to wake
you have severe vomiting
you experience cramps or have trouble controlling your arms and legs
you have double vision or experience other visual disorders
your speech becomes unintelligible
one pupil is larger than the other
you do not notice that others are speaking to you.

Avoid mental exertion

If your head hurts, do not do anything that requires concentration or other mental exertion for the first 24 hours. Therefore, avoid:

vigorous physical activity, for example sports
screen time in front of a computer, cell phone or television
reading
work that requires high levels of concentration
very warm temperatures and sunbathing
direct sunlight
alcohol, drugs and parties (for at least three days).

Contact your general practitioner if your symptoms continue

Contact your general practitioner if you are still experiencing headaches, difficulty concentrating or other symptoms of a concussion after one or two weeks.

Worth knowing

Check your medical journal and test results

On www.minsundhedsplatform.dk (in Danish only) you can see a summary of your treatment programme and any future appointments and test results.

You can access all the information registered about you by the public health services on www.sundhed.dk (in Danish only). They are both available as apps: MinSP and MinSundhed. Log on to the apps with your MitID.

We will notify your doctor

We send information about your visit to your general practitioner. If you do not want your doctor to receive a message from the hospital, you must tell us.

Tell us about your experience

We would very much like to hear from you with both praise and criticism about your stay at the hospital. You can find contact information on our website www.nordsjaellandshospital.dk/akut. If you are considering complaining about your treatment, you can contact the hospital's patient advisors, who are impartial advisers. You can read more about the possibilities to complain at www.regionh.dk/patientrights.

Your personal data

The Capital Region of Denmark uses the personal data you share with us when you make an enquiry.

Get more knowledge

You can get more information about head injuries and concussions at www.patienthåndbogen.dk. Search for 'commotio cerebri', 'hjernerystelse' and 'hovedskade'.

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