Although an ankle or foot injury can keep you on the sidelines for months, a brain injury can impact a person’s life years after they’ve stopped playing sports. There has been ample evidence that a concussion during the adolescent years can severely impact healthy brain development, so certain protocols should always be followed when participating in athletic activities. Below, we look at the diagnosis and treatment of concussions in sports.
Causes of Concussions
Concussions occur when the head sustains a blunt trauma. Some common ways athletes suffer concussions include:
- Helmet-to-helmet collisions in football
- Fouls that result in a player hitting their head on the court in basketball
- Collisions between a baserunner and catcher at home plate
- Knocking heads with an opponent when jumping for a header in soccer
- Hitting you head on the ice while playing hockey
Symptoms of Concussions
Athletes who suffer a concussion may display a wide variety of symptoms. Some players get knocked out cold, while others exhibit nearly no signs of a concussion. Symptoms of a concussion include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Cognitive impairment (feeling like you’re in a fog, delayed reaction times, etc)
- Headache
- Sensitivity to light
- Loss of short term memory
- Blurred vision
Short-Term Concussion Management
Because your brain heals differently than a fracture injury like a broken bone, concussions should be taken very seriously. If a player exhibits any of the previously listed symptoms, a proper protocol should be implemented to prevent any further damage. Although teams may have a slightly modified protocol, here is a basic outline for the proper steps to take if someone suffers a concussion.
1) Remove the player from the game – It doesn’t matter whether it’s an exhibition game or the Superbowl. Jeopardizing a player’s health in the short term is not worth the risk of the health complications down the road.
2) Have a trainer or team physician evaluate the player – Make sure a specialist examines the player to see if a emergency measures need to be taken. They will also check to see if the player has suffered a neck or spine injury.
3) The player should be closely monitored after the injury – Do not leave the athlete alone in the first few hours after the injury. Sometimes a concussion can trigger a seizure, so it’s a good practice to keep a close eye on the individual. Also, make sure the player doesn’t drive home from the game or practice, as any medical emergency would be made worse if it happened behind the wheel.
4) Visit a specialist – Depending on the availability of medical personnel available at the time of the injury, a person should schedule a visit with their local clinic to ensure the injury receives adequate professional monitoring. The doctor can also recommend a course or treatment or specialized gear to protect the head in the future.
5) Take time off – Although some experts say it should be longer, most patients can begin to return to sporting activities 7-10 days after suffering the concussion. If a person experiences concussion-like symptoms during athletic activities, they should stop immediately.
Long-term Concussion Management
Concussions can have health impacts long after a player has stopped playing a sport. A person cannot rehab from a concussion the same way they’d recover from a torn ACL, but there are some ways to combat long term concussion symptoms. These include:
- Wearing protective headgear to prevent future injuries
- Switching sports to take up an activity with less physical contact
- Carrying sunglasses with you at all times if you suffer from sensitivity to light
- Challenging your brain with puzzles or activities if you suffer from memory loss
- Regularly visit a specialist to examine cognitive changes over time
Participation in sports can be a great way to make new friends and stay in shape, but proper precautions should be taken in the event of an injury. Learn the signs of a concussion so you know what to do if one of your teammates suffers a head injury.
Related source: Medscapr
