Morris Hospital’s Dr. Isaac Mezo spoke at the YMCA on Friday, explaining in a presentation the causes and symptoms of concussions, while also explaining what it takes to recover from a concussion.

Not all concussions are created equally, according to Mezo: Some can take just days to recover, while others can take weeks, months or even years. He said concussions also are dangerous because the more concussions a person has had, the more severe subsequent concussions will be.

“So, you have a trauma to the head, and you have some neurologic symptoms that don’t go away right away,” Mezo said. “If you hit your head, it may hurt for a second, but you’re fine. That’s not a concussion. If you have a headache that won’t go away after an hour, you feel dizzy, you feel foggy into the next day, then you had a concussion. It’s a residual symptom.”

Mezo said concussions aren’t always visible. They could come from a direct hit or whiplash, or from sudden, involuntary head movements. He used roller coasters as an example.

He said every concussion is different: The amount of pain, dizziness, or other symptoms is not always correlated with severity.

“Whenever you have a concussion, most people will say, ‘Well, I’m going to go home, I’m going to rest, and I’ll see how I feel the next day.’ ” Mezo said. “That’s good, to an extent, if you don’t feel the very severe symptoms. But otherwise, the best thing is going to see your primary care doctor to explain those symptoms, or go to the emergency room.”

Mezo said that from there, those with symptoms can be referred to a concussion program like the one at Morris Hospital. Morris Hospital has had a concussion management program for several years that has specialized physical therapy to help people recover safely.

He said the reason a visit to a primary care doctor or emergency room is required is that they can rule out more severe injuries like brain bleeds.

Mezo said concussions can be treated with steroids and anti-inflammatories, but physical therapy makes a difference.

“Our therapists are trained for concussions, specifically,” Mezo said. “They will do certain vestibular or balance exercises with coordination, and they will get patients in sooner rather than waiting weeks and weeks.”

Mezo said the best way to recover from a concussion is to minimize screen time and get used to being bored. He said sitting still and resting will speed up recovery, and it’s important to limit exercising. Walking and staying a bit active is fine, but Mezo said people exhibiting concussion symptoms shouldn’t do any weight-bearing exercises.

For more information on Morris Hospital’s concussion management program, visit morrishospital.org/services/concussion-management/#what-is-the-role-of-physical-therapy-.