Football season is in full swing and my Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights are
pretty much consumed by high school football practices and games. As much as I enjoy watching the
games, watching the hard hits gets to me every time. That being said, hard hits and resulting
concussions happen across all sports, even cheerleading. Concussions just happen to be more prevalent
among football players. Stats for concussions are alarming: 1 in every 5 high school athletes will suffer
from a concussion during the season, 33% of all concussions happen at practice, 47% of all sport related
concussions happen during high school football, and 5.3 Americans (adults and children) live with a
traumatic brain injury-related disability.
So what is a concussion? Concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs when impact to a
head jars the brain inside the skull. Signs of a concussion may not always be obvious, they can range
from mild to severe and last from days to weeks. These signs can be placed into 4 categories: physical,
mental, sleep, and emotional. Physical signs may include headache, vision disturbances, nausea or
vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to noise or light, difficulty with balance, and fatigue. Mental signs may
include difficulty thinking clearly and/or concentrating, slower thought processing, and difficulty
remembering new information. Sleep signs may include excessive or decreased sleep and difficulty
falling asleep. Emotional signs may include irritability, depression, overreaction, or anxiety.
If you think someone is suffering from a concussion, make him (or her) stop any physical activity
immediately. Consult a medical professional for advice – if signs are severe, such as seizure, passing out,
repeated vomiting – call 911. A person suffering from a concussion may be hospitalized for overnight
observation or they may be sent home and observed by friends and family. Athletes should not return
to their sport until all signs and symptoms have resolved. Make sure the coach and athletic trainer are
aware of the athlete’s concussion. Preventing concussions before they occur should be priority.
Athletes should be aware of what a concussion is and what problems it can cause. They should wear
properly fitting helmets and protective equipment at all times and follow all safety rules.
