However, the physician is trained to look for signs that the concussion may also involve a hemorrhage. There are many tiny blood vessels in the brain that can be severed by the same forces that cause the concussion. For this reason, someone with a concussion should be carefully watched for any possible deterioration in function. Most simple concussions, where the initial symptoms do not last more than a few minutes, will clear in about twenty-four hours. If symptoms return then the concussion is considered to be a complex concussion.
Complex concussions take a minimum of seven days to clear.
The individual should not return to high-risk activity until he or she has been symptom free for at least one week. This includes being symptom free during periods of reasonably strenuous activity. During the week or more of recovery the individual should get plenty of rest. Unfortunately, there is no known treatment that can speed up the recovery period. If symptoms of the concussion persist beyond a couple of weeks, it means that the brain has not healed itself.