Information Every Athlete Should Know About Concussions

Of all football injuries, concussions might be the least talked about - and most serious. In fact, concussions should top the list when discussing the most contact sport related injuries, including baseball, basketball and hockey. Many athletes feel that, because a concussion does not have an immediate impact on their mobility, concussions can be ignored - the "play through the pain" mentality. However, concussions pose an extreme risk for permanent brain damage, especially in instances of repeat injury.

Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury or TBI that can be caused by a direct hit to the head resulting in swelling and bruising of the brain. A concussion can also be caused by a hit to the body or a fall that causes the head and neck to whiplash (a sudden, jerky movement). The whiplash movement causes the brain to impact the skull at a high speed.

Due to the variety of symptoms that athletes can experience after a concussion, mild TBIs can be difficult for a physician diagnose. Many athletes themselves have a hard time recognizing that they have even sustained a concussion. Feelings of foggy-headedness, slowed information processing, headaches and general tiredness are commonly experienced after a concussion. In addition to feeling off-balanced, difficulty with concentration and attention, worsening of school grades, and sleep disturbances may also be signs of a concussion. Only a small number of athletes who suffer concussions are actually knocked unconscious. Adding to the confusion, post-concussion symptoms can last from minutes to weeks and months causing significant concern with the athlete, their family, training and coaching staff.

In the past, athletes were told to play through their "dings" and "bell-ringers" as they where thought to be just harmless nuisances of collision sports such as football, soccer and hockey. However, according to more recent scientific studies, repeated head trauma may lead to serious problems later in life such as depression and dementia. Repeated head and neck injuries have been associated with an ease of sustaining future concussions. In younger athletes, sudden death has been reported in those who sustain a concussion when they haven't fully recovered from a previous concussion. For these reasons, it is very important for all athletes who have suffered a concussion to seek prompt medical attention by a health professional knowledgeable about head and neck injuries. These experts can fully evaluate the athlete and determine whether the brain has fully healed from its injury and when it is safe for the athlete to return to play.

To find a sports medicine physician near you, please call (614) 4-HEALTH or search for a physician online.

Steven Simensky, MD, PhD

Neurologist and sports medicine
Columbus Neurology & Neurosurgery
Member of the OhioHealth Sports Medicine Institute