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BybrDr. Josh Prickett, Medical Director, North Tarrant E-Care Emergency Center
It's autumn in North Texas, which means Southlakebrschools are back in session and football season is in full swing. Our coachesbrstrive to put safety first at all times, but parents and athletes of all ages maybrnot think too much about the risk for the traumatic brain injury known asbrconcussion.
According to the National Collegiate AthleticbrAssociation (NCAA), there may be almost 4 million concussions each year inbrsports and recreation-related activities – and those are just those confirmedbrby doctors. Concussions can happen to anyone suffering a fall, a car accident, sportsbrinjury or other jarring impact. Some of the mostbrcommon sports linked high-school-age concussions include football, lacrosse,brsoccer and baseball.
Don'tbrIgnore the Signs
One of thebrbiggest issues surrounding concussion involves the bad habit of missing or hidingbrsymptoms, which can vary a greatly. A head injury disturbs brain function, sobrthe injury is not necessarily visible like a bruise, cut, fracture or sprain.
Concussionbrsymptoms may include:
· Confusion or memory loss
· Dizziness
· Slurred speech
· Nausea
· Headache
· Prolonged fatigue
· Sudden vision or hearing loss
· Numbness or tingling
· Loss of taste or smell
· Sudden drowsiness or insomnia
According tobrthe AmericanbrAcademy of Neurology (AAN), it's crucial that anyone suspected of having abrconcussion immediately cease activity. When playing a sport, they shouldbrimmediately be put on the sideline for assessment using appropriate guidelinesbrfrom such established sources as the AAN, American College of Sports Medicine,brNCAA (there is no single recognized standard for concussion evaluations, yet).
There also is no set time limit for return to play after a head injury,brbut research suggests that athletes of high school age and younger take longerbrto recover than college athletes. High school football players werebrstatistically twice as likely to suffer concussions as collegiate players.brFortunately, Southlake Carroll ISD has licensed athletic trainers coordinatingbrwith local doctors to help care for student athletes. School administrators encouragebryou to learn all you can about potential safety issues by reading notificationsbrfor any sport (such as the Carroll ISD Athletics football statement) This offers tips to helpbrprevent injury, including not lowering the head when tackling/blocking and neverbrusing the helmet as a battering ram. Proper physical conditioning improvesbroverall balance, strength and endurance on the field.
Take Concussions Seriously
Concern about head injuries – especially in football – has been abrhot-button issue lately after thousands of former professional players filedbrsuit against the National Football League. Players suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other brainbrdisorders claim the NFL knew of long-term risks associated with head trauma. Quicklybrbeing assessed, leaving the field of play and staying off the field longer havebrbecome standard procedure now.
Equipment standards also reflect greater awareness about concussions.brFor example, helmet manufacturers have begun testing "head impact sensors" designedbrto trigger a warning when a player sustains hard blow. Some alert trainers onbrthe sideline, possibly prompting medical evaluation. In the first game of thebrNFL season, a player wearing one of the first sensor helmets actually didbrsuffer a concussion. Improved protection and detection technology may helpbrreduce the severity or frequency of football-related concussions, but thesebrmethods alone are far from accurate.
Simply wearing a helmet does not guaranteebrsafety. Players, coaches, trainers, parents and medical staff must be alert. Monitorbrany hits, especially those that affect the face, head or neck. Repeatbrincidences may suggest a player needs to adjust their tackling or blockingbrtechniques to avoid future injury.
The most important factor for anyonebrsuffering a blow to the head is recognition. Stop for a medical assessmentbrright away. If concussion symptoms such as dizziness, nausea or memory lossbroccur later, visit your local emergency care clinic with on-site CT equipmentbrthat can scan for serious traumatic brain injuries such as bruising, bleeding,brswelling or skull fractures. Your doctor should perform a full neurologicalbrevaluation if you have any physical or psychological symptoms of concussion.
In addition to seeing your Southlakebrphysician, you can get more information about concussion and traumatic brainbrinjury online. The Centers for Disease Control offers a Concussion Tool Kit, and Heads Up online training courses, as well as educational videos.
To get abrconcussion evaluation from doctors near Southlake, visit E-Care EmergencybrCenters for emergency or urgent care. Check in online orbrcall 817-281-7277.
Josh Prickett, MD,bris currently medical director for North Tarrant location of E-Care EmergencybrCenter in North Richland Hills. Dr. Prickett graduated from the University ofbrOklahoma Medical School and has been practicing emergency care in Oklahoma,brMinnesota and Texas since 1989. He has been married to his wife Carin forbr29 years. They have a son Jonathan, a daughter Whitney, and a son-in-lawbrJohn. Dr. Prickett and his family are active at Gateway Church in Southlake andbrlove being a part of the Southlake community.