Concussion reports rising; more awareness still needed
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– Trips to the emergency room for kids’ concussions have jumped more than 60% over the last decade.
Sports medicine experts say the numbers rising is a good thing, and they’re seeing the same thing here in the Ozarks. They say it means awareness is increasing, but there’s still room for improvement.
Freshman Kickapoo football player Brandon Wamsher is still sitting out after he suffered a concussion two weeks ago. “It was our last chance and it was the first play of that drive, and it happened, but I just stayed in, and the next two plays, I got sacked again,” says Wamsher.
Staying in the game or ignoring a head injury is exactly what medical experts advise against. “We’ve had a couple kids already this year, have had a concussion, did not report them, had another concussion, and they’re having still, some severe problems related to that and not able to return to play,” says Dr. Brian Mahaffey, St. John’s Director of Sports Medicine.
Wamsher reported his symptoms to his trainer the next day. “The headache just doesn’t go away. It just won’t stop, and it’s not too bad anymore, but light and noise are really bad,” says Wamsher.
In a nationwide study, the Centers for Disease Control says more and more kids are getting medical attention for concussions. The number has jumped more than 60%- from just over 153,375 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009.
“I look at that being very positive. That means we’re getting more information out there about concussions, better education, better awareness, of not only athletes, but parents and coaches, so they’re reported more,” says Mahaffey.
Kickapoo trainer Bert Boyd sees concussions in about every sport. “We’ve been real lucky this year. I haven’t had as many in football as I’ve had in let’s say, baseball,” says Boyd.
He scores an athletes’ symptoms when the injury is first reported. “Be out there on the field and then there’s some specific questions that you ask them about,” says Boyd. A special test using things like word and number recall and balance tests helps score the severity of the concussion.
Symptoms are continually evaluated until they’re gone, and for anyone under 18, St. John’s policy is they still don’t practice or play for seven more days. “They only have one brain,” says Mahaffey.
Another Kickapoo student has had to stay home from school and avoid cognitive activities that make their symptoms worse, so their brain can rest and heal.
Symptoms of a concussion can include headaches, dizziness, being light-headed, nauseous, and Dr. Mahaffey says often parents say “my kid just didn’t seem right after the game.” Getting a second concussion before recovering from the first can lead to serious brain damage, and every year in the U.S., Mahaffey says, about ten to 15 deaths.
Mahaffey says one way to prevent concussions, in football, is by using proper technique. He says players should be sure to keep their head up when tackling.
For more information on preventing and recognizing concussions, visit the CDC website.