Head injuries made headlines during football season, but the concussion discussion shouldn’t end just because the Super Bowl has come and gone.
Spring sports and summer vacations can put students at an increased risk for head injuries just as much as football, so it is important for parents and coaches to know how to spot a concussion and what can be done to help.
The cause
A concussion is caused by a blow to the head strong enough to force the brain to hit the inside of the skull. When this happens, the normal way the brain works is disrupted. The severity of the concussion depends mostly on the force of the hit to the head, but can also be affected by other factors.
What if my child is hit on the head?
Concussions can happen anywhere, and can be caused by almost anything. For example, a student athlete might get hit in the head by a poorly aimed baseball bat, or by a baseball for that matter. A vacationer might slip in a hotel lobby and strike his or her head on the floor. Or he might be bonked on the head while doing something as simple as hanging a picture in a hallway or reaching for that Bundt cake pan stored on the very top shelf.
For parents, it is important to check children for concussion symptoms after hits on the head. Signs of a concussion include:
· Headaches
· Nausea
· Trouble balancing
· Blurred vision
· Trouble concentrating
· Sluggishness
· Loss of consciousness
If a child reports any of the symptoms listed above, it is important to visit a doctor. Sometimes, symptoms do not arise until hours or even days after the original trauma. Even if there are no visible signs of brain injury, the child could still have a concussion.
If a child is hit on the head while playing a sport, the parent or the coach should take him or her out of the game immediately to eliminate the risk of a second hit, which could make even a mild concussion much worse. It is always better to be safe when dealing with head trauma and brain injury, so put the child’s health first and have him or her sit on the sidelines instead of returning to the field. Then seek advice from a doctor or athletic trainer to find out if the child has sustained a concussion.
Available treatments
Even though research being done on brain injuries is at an all-time high, there is still only one approved treatment for concussions: rest. After an injury like a concussion, the brain can usually heal the damage and reset any disrupted neural connections all on its own.
It is incredibly important that a person who has a concussion takes enough time to rest and allow the brain to get back to normal. Putting stress on the brain by playing sports, reading or even doing homework will only slow down the healing — and can even make things worse.
Even if a child feels well enough to return to normal life after only a day or two, it is important that he or she gets at least three full days of rest — ask the child’s doctor for a recommendation and follow his or her orders. There is evidence that repeated concussions have incredibly harmful, long-term effects on the brain.
These effects get much worse if a second concussion is sustained before the first has time to heal. Student athletes are especially at risk for multiple injuries, because they may want to return to a sport before their concussion is fully healed.
Don’t take risks
There are serious conditions that can develop as a result of a minor brain injury like a concussion. However, if parents and their children are careful and take the necessary precautions after a hit on the head, they can stay safe and healthy this spring. Most people who sustain concussions from things like sports and falling picture frames fully recover and have no long-lasting symptoms. The danger comes from ignoring a concussion.
Any time a person is hit on the head, he should take some time to rest and look for symptoms. If there is even the slightest concern about the possibility of a concussion, go to the ER or make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.
Concussions are brain injuries — take no chances.
