Marie ParksHave you ever bumped your head so hard that it made your eyes water? Most people have hit their heads really hard at least once in their lifetime.
In fact, each year approximately 1.7 million people visit emergency rooms as a result of head injuries, and 90% of these end up being concussions.1
Don’t be alarmed though - this doesn’t mean that every time you bump your head you'll get a concussion. That being said, you do need to be aware of what a concussion is and how to protect yourself and those around you.
What Is a Concussion?Concussions are a common occurrence in contact sports such as football, hockey, soccer, and boxing, but they can also occur from a fall, car accident, violent shaking, etc.
A concussion is a hard jolt or blow to the head that can result in a disruption of the brain’s normal functioning, resulting symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Was The Hit Hard Enough?Just because a blow to the head didn’t look or feel too hard, it doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any damage done. It’s not always about the force of the blow … it’s more about how and where the force was applied.
So what actually causes damage when you receive a blow to the head? When force is applied to the head, the resulting action can cause it to move quickly from front-to-back and/or from side-to-side.
What can happen next is that the brain shakes and rotates causing tissue to tear. Your brain could also hit the skull, which could result in bleeding.
For this reason, anyone who’s experienced a serious blow to the head should be monitored for a few hours and, if symptoms worsen, seek immediate medical help. Naturally, you should have someone else drive you if you suspect that you have sustained a head injury that needs medical attention.
Concussion Signs and Symptoms to Look Out ForSince some people may appear to be fine after sustaining a blow to the head, it can sometimes make it difficult to assess the severity of the injury. To make matters even more difficult, symptoms might not manifest themselves for days after the event. Be on the lookout for these signs and symptoms:
- Blurred vision
- Slurred speech
- Balance problems
- Light headed or dizzy
- Light and noise sensitivity
- Personality changes …for instance, appearing irritable or depressed
- Difficulty sleeping
- Attention and memory issues
- Changes in ability to taste and smell
How to Minimize Concussion RiskTaking the following precautions2 can help you continue to enjoy your favorite activities with added peace of mind!
1. Wear a seatbelt! And make sure children are in a car seat or booster seat according to their height, weight, and age.
2. Wear a helmet! Wear a helmet when doing any activity where you could collide with someone or something, such as: contact sports (i.e., football, hockey, boxing, baseball), bicycling, riding a motorcycle, skiing, horseback riding, etc.
3. Keep living areas safe:
- Remove trip hazards such as clutter and make sure rugs are secure.
- Use nonslip mats in the bathtub.
- Install hand rails on both sides of stairways.
- Make sure lighting is adequate.
- Install safety gates at bottom and top of stairs.
- Use shock-absorbing playground surfaces like mulch or sand.
- Keep an eye on children at all times, especially during play.
- Exercise regularly. Improving strength and balance can reduce the risk of falling and hitting your head.
- Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=7121271&page=1 Accessed January 5, 2016.
- Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/prevention.html Accessed January 5, 2016.
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