Kids + Sports = Risk for Concussion
FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) — Your child takes a hard hit during
a football game. Or a nasty fall caused by a failed cheerleading
stunt.
The youngster gets right back up but stumbles around a bit and seems to
be only dimly aware of his or her surroundings. A worried teammate tries
to converse, but you can tell from the sidelines that your child is having
a hard time understanding what’s being said and appears sluggish, dazed
and confused.
Chances are that the child sustained a concussion. And if parents and
coaches don’t know how to recognize the signs and pursue prompt treatment,
the child could be at increased risk for a severe brain injury, with
lifelong consequences.
“If a concussion goes undiagnosed, it can increase the risk of
re-injury,” explained Dr. Paul Gubanich, an orthopedic specialist in the
Center for Sports Health and the orthopedic surgery department at the
Cleveland Clinic. “We know repeated head injuries can lead to chronic
changes in the brain. Athletes who go back to play before they are fully
recovered are at risk for having worse symptoms and more prolonged
injuries.”
A concussion occurs when the brain sloshes around inside the skull
because of a blow to the head. The brain is cushioned against minor head
trauma — think a slight bump on the noggin — by spinal fluid that
surrounds it inside the skull. But a heavy impact can actually cause the
brain to smack into the bone of the skull, causing bruising of the brain,
torn blood vessels and nerve damage.
Because they are still developing, children and teens are more likely
to have a concussion than adults, according to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. It also takes youngsters much longer to
recuperate.
Each year, emergency rooms in the United States treat an estimated
135,000 youths 5 to 18 years old for sports- and recreation-related
traumatic brain injuries, according to the CDC. Concussion causes the vast
majority of those injuries.
But don’t think that those concussions were all due to contact sports.
Football and soccer injuries are common, but other activities associated
with traumatic brain injuries include bicycling and playground activities,
the CDC reports.
Even cheerleading, with its increased emphasis on wild stunts, has
become a rising cause of concussion. “I’ve seen a lot of them getting a
concussion from someone not catching them during a stunt or from a misstep
taken during a tumble,” said Dr. Robert Agee Jr., a sports medicine
physician at Lemak Sports Medicine Orthopedics in Birmingham, Ala.,
and a spokesman for the National Center for Sports Safety.
Concussions can be tough to detect. There are no outward signs of
concussion, and symptoms, which sometimes appear right away, can also be
delayed for days after the injury. Even doctors struggle to detect
concussions because normal brain scans, including MRIs and CT scans,
cannot pick them up with any degree of certainty, Agee said.
“You can’t see a concussion. You can’t feel it,” Agee said. “You just
know it from symptoms and how the person’s brain is processing
information.”
After a child has sustained a hard blow to the head during sports or
play, parents should be on the lookout for concussion symptoms. For
instance, a concussion might have occurred if a child:
- Appears dazed or stunned
- Moves around clumsily and has problems staying balanced
- Answers questions slowly
- Loses consciousness, even for a moment
- Seems confused about where he or she is or what he or she is
doing - Has trouble remembering things that happened either before or after
the blow - Is behaving strangely or out of character
- Complains of a headache
- Suffers from nausea or vomiting
- Is sensitive to noise or light
- Reports blurry or double vision
Any of these signs should cause concern, expert say, and should prompt
parents and coaches to seek medical attention for the child right
away.
A child who’s been diagnosed with a concussion needs to stay away from
sports for as long as it takes the brain to heal. Research has found that
a brain recovering from concussion is susceptible to increased injury if a
second head injury occurs.
“The brain is already compromised by the first hit,” Agee said. “Your
brain is already vulnerable, and you’re susceptible to having a concussion
again with very minimal trauma if you go back too soon.”
Brains that undergo repeated concussions are at increased risk for
memory loss, cognitive problems, chronic headaches, epilepsy and
eventually Alzheimer’s disease, said both Gubanich and Agee.
To help protect children, make sure they wear the proper safety
equipment for whatever sport they’re playing. If they need a helmet, make
sure it fits properly and the kids are using it as instructed. For
example, if a chin strap is included, it should be worn.
Training also plays a role in concussion safety. Health experts agree
that kids should learn from a coach who focuses on the fundamentals of
play. As Agee said, children who know the proper stances and moves for
their sport are less likely to be injured during play.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases offers a parent’s guide to preventing sports injuries in
children.
For more on head injury risks, read about one teen’s story.