Brain safety for student athletes
| Safety | Healthy You | Kids Health
Be on the alert for the subtle signs and symptoms of concussions.
Sports injuries are a common safety concern for school-age athletes. And concussions, which affect tens of thousands of kids in the U.S. each year, are among the most serious. These brain injuries can be especially dangerous— even deadly — if a second concussion occurs before the first has enough time to heal.
Safety first
Fortunately, you can take the lead in reducing the risk of concussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these four tips:
- Verify that your child’s school, league, or district has a concussion policy. It’s important to make sure coaches know how to recognize and deal with these injuries, which includes working with a healthcare professional to determine when it’s safe for athletes to return to play.
- Emphasize to your child the importance of following the rules of the game and the coach’s rules for safety.
- Encourage your child to practice good sportsmanship.
- Make sure your child wears appropriate protective equipment. Helmets are a must for riding activities, such as cycling or skateboarding, or collision sports, such as football or ice hockey. They help reduce the risk of a serious brain injury or skull fracture. Be aware, however, that helmets are not designed to prevent concussions. That’s why your child needs to avoid hits to the head as much as possible.
Signs and symptoms
Athletes who sustain a concussion may not realize it or may insist they’re fine.
“The signs of a concussion can be so subtle that they’re easy to miss,” explains Kelsy Parker, MD, a PeaceHealth physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor. “Sometimes the symptoms of a concussion take several hours and even days to become noticeable. That’s why it’s important for both parents and coaches to be on alert for changes in behavior or other signs that might hint at a concussion.”
Possible symptoms your child might report include:
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Balance or vision problems
- Sensitivity to light or noise
Possible signs you might recognize in your child include:
- Dazed appearance
- Confusion or forgetfulness
- Clumsy movement
- Slow response when asked questions
- Change in mood, behavior, or personality
- Loss of consciousness
If you suspect your child has a concussion, there are important next steps you can take to help your child’s brain heal safely and completely. Early treatment leads to better recovery.
“Because brain injuries show up in many different ways, the treatment plan to help recover from a concussion may include different types of doctors or other experts who can help with things like physical therapy, occupational therapy speech therapy and/or vision therapy,” says Dr. Parker.
It’s best to consult your child’s primary care physician as soon as possible after the injury. Or if the symptoms are severe, take your child immediately to the emergency department.
Learn more in our webinar: Concussion: 5 Facts to know about this brain injury.
