As the spring sports season gets underway, youth athletes and their parents might worry about incurring injuries, particularly concussions.
In fact, this most common type of brain injury, which is caused by a sudden blow to the head or body, has received both national and statewide attention as new regulations and laws about concussions have been adopted.
As a result, parents want to know how to recognize the signs of concussion and how to protect their son or daughter from sustaining this type of injury.
Dr. Robert Coale, an orthopedic surgeon on the Medical Staff at Southwest General and medical director of Southwest General’s Sports Medicine Program, treats approximately 100 concussion cases a year.
“Every athlete is at risk, no matter what sport played,” he says. “There is currently no equipment proven to prevent concussions.”
Sports such as football, soccer and hockey, which demand greater physical activity, also carry greater risk for injury.
“Football is the highest risk for boys and soccer is the highest risk for girls,” Dr. Coale says.
While children play, parents and coaches can assess if there are signs of concussion, especially after a hard hit to the body or head.
“Sometimes, it’s not a single hit, it may be a culmination of multiple hits during a game,” Dr. Coale says. “Have a greater awareness of the child (after the hit). Someone should assess him or her and see how they are feeling.”
Signs and symptoms to watch out for are headaches, dizziness, problems with bright lights and loud noises, difficulty concentrating, disorientation and nausea/vomiting.
“Everyone worries about loss of consciousness, but that only happens in approximately 10 percent of concussions,” Dr. Coale says. “Someone needs to monitor the child over the course of the day, from the first minutes to hours later.”
Southwest General has a staff of athletic trainers who are readily available to help assess players at the middle and high school levels in the cities of Brook Park, Strongsville, Berea, Middleburg Heights, Columbia Township and Olmsted Falls.
“According to new state regulations, if parents or coaches suspect a player has a concussion, the child should be pulled from the game or practice immediately, and should not return until his or her condition is assessed by a physician or licensed professional,” Dr. Coale explains.
While it’s recommended that the child sees a doctor if a concussion is assumed, the player doesn’t have to seek immediate medical attention.
“Any escalating signs or worsening of symptoms at any time after the injury (such as severe headache, continued vomiting, slurred speech or loss of consciousness), those children need to go to the Emergency Room (ER),” Dr. Coale says. “If their symptoms seem controllable, observation by an adult would be a reasonable initial treatment plan. If they seem otherwise, it is recommended that they go see a physician within the first few days to week, but it’s not necessarily an emergency.”
Treatment for concussions generally consists of rest.
“The biggest thing in the initial phase is rest, both cognitive and physical — your brain and your body,” Dr. Coale says. “No activities that will raise the heart rate. Sleep is important in the recovery process.”
Vigorous activities, school studies, video games, loud noises and bright lights also can have an adverse effect on recovery from a concussion.
Your son or daughter should expect to stay out of the game when healing from a concussion, which takes a longer period of time in youth athletes than in their adult counterparts.
“It could take anywhere between 10 and 21 days for an average concussion,” he says. “Everyone responds differently. We are trying to prevent a second concussion (called second-impact syndrome) while treating the first. The more concussions you have, the higher risk for short- or long-term problems with memory, cognitive and learning disabilities, anxiety and depression.”
