Sports |
Sports and ABI
Concussion through Sports A concussion is a disturbance in brain function that occurs following either a blow to the head or a result of the violent shaking of the head. The impact to your head vibrates your brain inside the skull. Concussion 'is' a Brain Injury!
The condition or state is organic meaning that the brain itself determines the period of time of recovery although 'spontaneous' is used in much literature this term is simplistic in actual terms.
Science tell us organically that the brain takes up to 4 weeks in most cases to return to pre-injury function. This opens up a very high risk of Secondary Concussion syndrome, particularly in younger people.
Testing the brain in a sport setting within short timeframes of injury (within 30 minutes) often show less disturbance to brain function that if tested 60 minutes later or longer. These results open a large window for secondary concussion in return to activity.
Worse, repetitive head injuries, even minor ones, can have serious repercussions - inlcuding permanent brain damage or death.
Symptoms and Signs Symptoms and signs often have a delayed onset (may be worst later that day or even the next morning), so sports people should continue to be observed even after the initial symptoms and signs have returned to a supposed pre-concussive state.
Symptoms
Signs
Caution: All sports people should consult a physician after concussion
Click on MomsTeam to read their article about - Under reporting of Concussions: will monitoring head impact exposure solve the problem?
Click on UTAS researchers warning on consussion injuries to read their article about - Young footballers endangering their health
Click on 'From Football and the WWE to the world of concussion' to read how Chris Nowinski learned the hard way that the number of hits to the head is not the same as the number of concussions. His mission is now to share what he has learned about sports and brain trauma. With thanks to brainline.org
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