With back to school in full swing along with sports activities here are tips on how to manage sports concussions from from
Shelley Street Callender MD Assistant professor, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Sports Medicine Specialist, Children’sHospital of Michigan.
How To Manage Sports Concussions
1. Know the dangers of a sports concussion
A concussion is an injury to the brain usually caused by a blow to the head.
Concussion in sports can happen during drills, practices and games. Injuries during practice can be just as serious as those that happen
during competition and don’t always cause a loss of consciousness.
Recognize Signs and Symptoms of Concussions
There are many different symptoms associated with a concussion. One of the great dangers, is an athlete may be suffering from a concussion for hours or days without obvious clues that an injury has occurred. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), warning signs of a concussion include:
* Appearing dazed, confused or stunned
* Confusion about assignment or position
* Being unsure of game, score, or opponent
* Moving clumsily
* Answering questions slowly
* Losing consciousness (even briefly)
* Mood behavior, or personality changes
* Can’t recall events prior to or after hit or fall
* Headache or “pressure” in head
* Nausea, vomiting or dizziness
* Double or blurry vision
* Sensitivity to light and noise
* Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy
* Concentration or memory problems
* Does not “feel right” or is “feeling down”
How To Manage Sports Concussions If You Suspect Them
If you you want to know how to manage a concussion have any of the signs or symptoms of a concussion listed above after a blow to the head or body, you should not go back to play the day of the injury.
A health care professional, experienced in evaluating a concussion, needs to let you know when it is safe to return to play. A player returning too early could suffer from “second impact syndrome,” which can be fatal.
A second blow to the head, even a minor one, can cause a loss of control of blood flow to the brain. Never return to a sports activity
until you are cleared by a doctor.
Related articles: Common Q and A on Sports Physicals
How To Properly Hydrate Young Athletes During the Summer
Shelley Street Callender, M.D. is Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Sports Medicine Specialist, Children’sHospital of Michigan For more health tips, visit Children’s Hosptial of Michigan page for kids’ health. Dr. Callender is an expert on how to manage sports concussions.
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