The Fall sports season has officially begun! With any type of sporting event there is always the risk for injury. One injury that we have learned a lot more about in recent years is a concussion. A concussion is a blow to the head or a jolt to the body that causes an injury to the brain with or without the loss of consciousness.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion can vary between patients depending on severity and what part of the brain is affected. Some of the most common signs/symptoms of concussion are:
- Headache
- Pressure in your head
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance
- Sensitivity to light/noise
- Feeling like you are in a fog
If an athlete begins to experience any of these or other symptoms of a concussion as a result of a blow to the head or a jolt to the body they should seek medical treatment ASAP, whether that be with their team's athletic trainer or another trained medical provider.
Most if not all athletes have played through some level of pain, when it comes to concussion playing through the pain is not an option. No matter how small or mild a concussion may seem, no game is worth the possible long term effects that can be caused from a concussion that is either handled improperly or overlooked completely. If left untreated a concussion can lead to future long term conditions such as CTE or 2nd impact syndrome which can change an athlete's life forever.
Being informed about concussions and the risk associated with them is not meant to scare people away from playing the sports they love, but is a way to help make them safer as our knowledge grows about concussions. Concussions are very complex and all can present differently depending on what part of the brain is affected. What we thought of just a few years ago as "getting your bell rung" we now know is more than likely a concussion and should be treated and handled with care. Our knowledge and understanding of how to diagnose and treat concussions are vastly improving and research is still being done everyday to make sure that individuals can enjoy the sport/activity they love safely and with peace of mind.
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