A concussion activates the brain’s immune system to remove dead and damaged cells. However, unlike the body’s immune system, the brain’s immune system does not have an automatic “off switch.” This means the inflammatory response can continue long after the concussion, showing up as neurological and health issues years later.
The brain’s immune cells
The brain’s immune cells are called microglia cells. There are 10 glial cells for every neuron, and more than half the weight of your brain is comprised of these cells.
Microglia cells are either in a resting state or an active state. When activated by a head injury, they create an overzealous inflammatory immune response that causes brain inflammation, or neuroinflammation. While this serves a necessary role, in many people, this inflammation continues for years, causing long-term damage. The health of your brain and your general overall metabolic health also play a significant role in how well you respond to and recover from a concussion.
Factors that worsen the consequences of a concussion
The healthier your brain is, the better you’ll fare in the event of a concussion. The following factors have been shown to increase your chances of a poor recovery and increase your risk of long-term problems:
- High blood sugar and high-carb diets (feeling sleepy after meals is the most common symptom)
- Low blood sugar and frequently skipping meals or living off fruit smoothies and other high- carb meals (feeling spaced out, irritable, and shaky between meals, energy crash in the afternoon, and waking up at 3 or 4 am are common symptoms).
- Hormonal imbalances
- Poor gut health; gut health symptoms
- An autoimmune disease that has not been diagnosed or appropriately managed
- Chronic inflammation from undiagnosed food intolerances or chemical sensitivities
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Previous head trauma
Goals in supporting brain recovery from injury
After a brain injury, the goals for recovery are:
– Increase neuroplasticity, or how well neurons fire and build new pathways. This keeps your brain healthy and active in the face of injury, aging, and other impacts on brain health.
– Dampen microglial cells that cause inflammation and accelerated brain degeneration.
– Improve vagal tone. The vagus nerve is the large nerve that connects the brain with the body’s organs. When brain function suffers, so does the vagus nerve, and organ function can deteriorate. Exercises to improve the vagus nerve can work both to improve brain and metabolic health.
– Stimulate cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways. These are metabolic and neurological pathways that improve brain health and recovery.
– Decrease neuroinflammation. The aim is to stop that slow-burning fire through your brain tissue for optimal and lasting function.
Strategies include hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), following an anti-inflammatory diet, specific brain nutraceuticals, vagus nerve exercises, and temporary therapeutic use of progesterone (under the guidance of your doctor.)
To learn more, download my free guide: Brain Injuries and Concussions: 7 Nutritional and Lifestyle Strategies for Recovery.
