What if concussion symptoms don't go away?

Most concussion symptoms clear within two to four weeks, but recovery varies and children can take longer than adults.

• Not improving by 14 days, or getting worse: get medical advice from the NHS by calling 111.
• Symptoms lasting more than 28 days: stay out of sport and see a GP, who may refer the player to a specialist.

Headaches can carry on for several months after the injury has healed and may feel like migraine, sometimes with nausea or sensitivity to light or sound. Sometimes they come from a neck injury. If a headache is not made worse by mental or physical activity and is well managed, it need not stop someone returning to school, work and physical activity.