Change Text Size:

Sports Concussion

Sports and recreation related injuries account for 20 percent of all brain injuries. There are an estimated 300,000 sports-related brain injuries per year, including 250,000 in football alone. However, because sports-related concussions tend to be underreported, the number may, in fact, be much higher.

Concussion is a form of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). The effects of brain injury can range from loss of motor skills to cognitive impairment and memory loss. Click here for more information on brain injury.

Parents and coaches are an athlete's first line of defense against sports-related concussion. Proper safety equipment should be properly worn at all times during practice and games. They should also keep watch for the signs of concussion should an accident occur on the field. Concussions are not caused solely by impact. Whiplash caused by a player falling on the field can also lead to a concussion.

Signs and Symptoms of TBI
Indicators of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be subtle. Symptoms may not appear until days or weeks following the injury or may even be missed, as people may look fine. The following are some common signs and symptoms of a TBI:

  • Headaches or neck pains that do not go away;
  • Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions;
  • Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading;
  • Getting lost or easily confused;
  • Feeling tired all of the time, having no energy or motivation;
  • Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason);
  • Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping);
  • Light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of balance;
  • Urge to vomit (nausea);
  • Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions;
  • Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily;
  • Loss of sense of smell or taste; and
  • Ringing in the ears

Children with a brain injury can have the same symptoms as adults, but it is often harder for them to let others know how they feel. Call your child's doctor if she or he has had a blow to the head and you notice any of these symptoms:

  • Tiredness or listlessness;
  • Irritability or crankiness (will not stop crying or cannot be consoled);
  • Changes in eating (will not eat or nurse);
  • Changes in sleep patterns;
  • Changes in the way the child plays;
  • Changes in performance at school;
  • Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities;
  • Loss of new skills, such as toilet training

The seriousness of concussion tends to be downplayed in our society, but the results of mTBI can have severe repercussions. Second Impact Syndrome, a rapid swelling of the brain that occurs when a second concussion is received before a first concussion has healed, can prove fatal. If a concussion is suspected, the player should leave the field and receive medical diagnosis. Any child who receives a blow to the head during play should automatically be removed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports Packet for free for coaches and parents. (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/Coaches_Tool_Kit.htm)

The possibility of concussion is a very real aspect of sports, but with the proper equipment and training, coaches and parents can help athletes avoid situations that could take them out of the game permanently.

—Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Concussions: Prevention, early recognition of symptoms best counter to this type of brain injury By Dean Wennerberg, M.S., ATR, CSCS