Science Says Concussions Hit Women’s Brains Harder—Why Is No One Talking About It?
this neurometabolic cascade. “You can think of your brain like an electric grid, with a network of fibers coursing throughout this crucial organ,” says Dr. Smith. “The impulse starts in the gray matter on the outside of the brain and moves to the white matter on the inside, which is filled with axons—little fibers that are so small and delicate that you’d need to put 100 of them side by side to be as thick as one human hair.
The axons are able to do this thanks to sodium channels that run through them, which work a little like a toilet tank: A flapper valve lets just the right amount of sodium into the axon to get a spark that creates electricity, which then gets passed down the axon. When the axon has enough sodium, the valve shuts.
But let’s say you bang your head like Murray did. The impact can stretch those axons so abruptly that they break, explains Dr. Smith, which in turn breaks the valve. The result? Too much sodium rushes into the axons, overwhelming them and prompting an electrical “brown-out” that’ll cause you to feel dazed, confused, have a slower reaction time, and even lose consciousness.
Earlier care also helps target treatment approaches that can lead to better outcomes, says Bretzin. “Not everyone with a concussion presents with the same, which can make it tricky to diagnose and treat,” she says. “But if we can monitor your symptoms, we can better direct you to treatments that may help prevent a long-term effect.
Luckily, a CT scan of Murray’s brain the day after her fall showed no internal bleeding. But her symptoms did persist for about three months. She got frequent headaches and found that looking at her computer screen or watching TV for more than an hour at a time led to intense head pain.
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