Frequently Asked Questions

Visit your family doctor, nurse practitioner, or an emergency department to diagnose your concussion. If you are diagnosed with a concussion, see your family doctor within 1-2 weeks of your diagnosis. Depending on your symptoms, you will also need to see other healthcare providers with experience in managing those specific symptoms. Your healthcare providers will check your symptoms, monitor how you are doing, and decide if or when they need to see you again.

Get physical and mental rest during the first 24-48 hours after a concussion. Increased sleep is normal and necessary, you don’t need to be woken up every hour or put in a dark room. Gradually returning to daily activities and regular routines is part of the healing process. Talk with a doctor or nurse practitioner about returning to work, school, or sport.

Concussions symptoms can affect your body, but they can also affect your thinking, emotions, and sleep. Symptoms might appear right away or a few days later. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, or even longer. Some people may experience only one symptom and others may experience many. Most people who experience a concussion make a full recovery, with symptoms lasting up to 4 weeks.

It is important to give the brain time to heal. Most people recover by one month. For some, concussion recovery can take longer, with their symptoms lasting beyond a few months. Symptoms that last longer than three months are referred to as ‘prolonged symptoms.’ If your symptoms last longer than this, it doesn’t mean that you will never recover. Talk to your family doctor if you are concerned about your symptoms. Your family doctor might refer you to an interdisciplinary concussion clinic or a group of providers who have experience managing concussion symptoms.

Get physical and mental rest during the first 24-48 hours after a concussion. Increased sleep is normal and necessary, you don’t need to be woken up every hour or put in a dark room. Gradually returning to daily activities and regular routines is part of the healing process. Talk with a doctor or nurse practitioner about returning to work, school, or sport.