Princess Anne is being treated in hospital for concussion and minor head injuries, following what medics believe was a kick from a horse. Concussions are a fairly common occurence but they can lead to serious health problems if symptoms are ignored.
Understanding of the impact of head injuries has greatly improved in recent years, and professional sports leagues and competitions are increasingly bringing in new protocols to protect athletes when they occur.
But they can happen to anyone, and there a number of important warning signs to look out for that may mean you need further treatment. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that results in temporary loss in normal brain function.
They occur when a blow or jolt to the head, or a hit to the body, results in the brain to moving rapidly back and forth or banging against the skull.
Chemical changes in the brain can occur as a result, and sometimes the stretching and damaging of brain cells. This is all you need to know about symptoms, and when to seek urgent care.
Its effects are usually short-term and can include headaches, memory loss, nausea, issues with concentration, and changes to mood and sleep. Some concussions cause the person to lose consciousness.
The most common cause of concussion is a fall or blow to the head, but contact sports players are also at risk. Amnesia is a common symptom of concussion and can include forgetting what happened that caused the injury.
Physical symptoms are also common such as ringing in the ears (tinnitus), feeling or being sick, fatigue, dizziness and blurry vision. People who witness a concussion in somebody else may report that that person is slurring their speech, cannot answer questions promptly, seems dazed and is forgetful.
Symptoms usually start within 24 hours, but sometimes may not appear for up to three weeks.
The NHS advises that medical help should be sought after a head injury. They advise taking the patient to A&E if there is repeated vomiting or nausea, a loss of consciousness, a headache that gets worse over time, changes to vision, confusion, seizures, weakness in limbs, sudden deafness and when fluid or blood is draining from the nose or ears.
People often need to be monitored for at least 48 hours after suffering a concussion to ensure they have not suffered any bleeding in the brain.
Paracetamol can help control pain, but people are advised not to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug painkillers like ibuprofen or aspirin as they can sometimes cause bleeding.
Medics often recommend rest, not drinking any alcohol and only returning to daily activities when they feel able.
Dr Beth Ansel, an expert on rehabilitation research at the National Institutes of Health in the US, said: “Although concussions are considered to be a mild brain injury, they need to be taken seriously. They should not be treated as minor injuries that quickly resolve.”
She said that while most people fully recover from concussion, it “can have a lasting effect on thinking, attention, learning and memory.”
