24/7 Emergency Room in Irving, TX
A hard hit in a game, a fall, or a fender bender deserves more than guesswork. Same-day evaluation, CT when it is needed, and a recovery plan that actually works.
A concussion changes how the brain works for days to weeks, even when scans look normal. According to the CDC’s HEADS UP program, the biggest risk is going back to sports or full activity before the brain has healed, when a second hit does far more damage than the first.
The advice has also changed. Days alone in a dark room is outdated; recovery now means a short period of rest followed by a gradual, symptom-guided return.
Our emergency room in Irving does the evaluation the same day: a full neurological exam, a CT scan only when red flags call for one, and a written plan for the weeks ahead.
Medically reviewed by the ER of Irving Medical Team | Updated: July 2026
The first two mean call 911, because they can signal a bleed rather than a concussion. The rest deserve a same-day exam.
A headache that builds, repeated vomiting, or growing confusion can mean a bleed. Call 911.
Unequal pupils, a seizure, or someone you cannot wake are 911 emergencies.
The most common symptom, often with sensitivity to light and noise.
Feeling off, answering slowly, or struggling to focus at school or work.
The room spins, or walking a straight line suddenly takes effort.
Queasiness in the first hours is common. Repeated vomiting is not.
Sleeping far more than usual, or unable to fall asleep at all.
Irritability, anxiety, or tears that are out of character, especially in teens.
Concussion care is an exam-first visit. Most people are in and out with a plan in about an hour.
A physician exam within minutes: memory, balance, eye movement, and reaction.
Red flags earn a scan to rule out a bleed. A typical concussion does not need radiation.
Written instructions for rest, screens, school or work, and a stepwise return to activity.
Athletes leave with the graduated protocol schools and coaches expect.
The first 24 to 48 hours are for taking it easy: less screen time, no sports, lighter mental load. After that, activity comes back step by step, with symptoms setting the pace. Most people recover fully within two to four weeks.
Children and teens heal on a slower clock and need a doctor’s clearance before returning to play. Our pediatric emergency team walks families through the school and sports timeline.
If symptoms suddenly worsen during recovery, that is no longer concussion territory. Head to our head injury emergency care page for the red flags, and come in immediately if any appear.
The second hit before healing is the dangerous one. Here is how to pace it.
Worsening confusion, repeated vomiting, a seizure, unequal pupils, or someone you cannot wake. Do not drive them.
Any suspected concussion deserves a same-day exam, especially a student athlete who wants a safe return to play.
After a clean evaluation: 24 to 48 hours of taking it easy, then a gradual return guided by symptoms.
The physician runs a neurological exam covering memory, balance, eye movement and reaction time, and orders a CT scan only if red flags suggest bleeding. You go home with a written recovery plan: what to rest, when to return to school or work, and exactly which symptoms mean come back.
A same-day evaluation is worth it every time. It rules out the dangerous look-alikes, documents a baseline, and replaces guesswork with a plan. Go immediately if symptoms worsen, vomiting repeats, or the person is confused, hard to wake, or has unequal pupils.
Most adults recover fully within two to four weeks. Children and teens often need longer, and pushing through symptoms stretches the timeline instead of shortening it. Symptoms lasting beyond a month deserve a follow-up visit rather than more waiting.
Yes, but never the same day, and never without medical clearance. Texas schools follow a graduated return-to-play protocol: light activity first, then sport-specific drills, then contact, with each step earned symptom-free. We provide the evaluation and documentation that process requires.
Yes. After a clean evaluation, sleep actually helps the brain recover, and the old advice to wake someone every hour is outdated. The exception is before evaluation: if the person is unusually hard to wake or confused when woken, that is an emergency.
Second hits before healing are the dangerous ones. Get evaluated today, walk out with a plan, and return with confidence.
