Taking One for the Team: Concussions and Hard-Hitting Sports

Have you seen a football game recently when a player received a hard hit to the head? He lay there for a moment, then looked dazed and confused when his teammates helped him up.

You have probably witnessed a concussion - a brain injury caused by a blow to the head. Concussions can happen in any sport. About 300,000 concussions occur in professional, college and high school football every season. Soccer players are equally at risk. In boxing, concussions are extremely common occurrences.

Causes and symptoms

Our brain is a soft, gelatin-like mass, protected by a hard skull. Any blow to the head, during a fall or a collision with a hard object, makes the brain bounce against the inside of the skull. This may tear tiny blood vessels and pull nerve fibers.

Symptoms depend on the area of the brain affected and the severity of the blow. The person may have:

• Brief loss of consciousness ("passing out"). However, concussions may happen with no loss of consciousness.
• Headache
• Loss of balance or dizziness
• Double or fuzzy vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Sluggish feeling
• Groggy or foggy feeling
• Concentration or memory problems

IMPORTANT: CONCUSSIONS CAN OCCUR WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS.

When can I get back in the game?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, any athlete who has the signs and symptoms of a concussion listed above should not play until he or she is seen and cleared by a health care professional.

A single concussion should heal without permanent damage. A second concussion soon afterward, even a minor one, can be deadly. It is very important to let the brain heal completely before any risk is taken.

Prevention

Many concussions can be prevented by doing the following:

• Wear the right protective equipment for the activity, such as helmets, padding, shin guards, and eye and mouth guards, and make sure they fit well and are well maintained.
• Don't play when you're injured.
• Use seat belts when driving in a car.
• Strap toddlers into high chairs and use gates to block stairs.
• Install sturdy bars for the elderly to hold onto when they go in or out of the bathtub.

Related Articles Sports Injuries Kids and Team Sports: How to Play it Safe What Is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

External Sources American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Concussion. Accessed 9/22/2006. Harmon, K.G. Assessment and management of concussions in sports. American Family Physician, Vol. 60, No. 3, 1999. Cantu, RC. Guidelines for return to contact sports after a cerebral concussion. Phys Sportsmed, 14(10): 75-76, 1986. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

Search