Sports Related Concussions—What You Need to Know

The most common head injury in sports is concussion.  Concussions are direct injuries to the brain and are usually due to direct blow to the head.   They are common in contact sports with the highest risk found in those athletes who participate in football.  It is estimated that in high school football alone as many as 250,000 concussions occur each year and that up to 20 percent of players sustain a concussion.   Other sports in which players are at risk for concussion or head injury include boxing, ice hockey, wrestling, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer and basketball.

Concussions can range from mild to severe, but they all share the common factor of interfering with the way the brain works.  They can cause problems with memory, balance, judgment, speech and coordination.  Symptoms of concussions may include headaches, dizziness, amnesia, difficulty with concentration, personality changes, disturbances of vision and coordination and occasional loss of consciousness. 

Concussions don't always involve a loss of consciousness. In fact, most people who have concussions never black out. Many athletes may suffer a concussion and may not even realize that they had one and therefore, do not undergo evaluation by medical personnel.  It is important to educate athletes and coaches about concussions especially in the instances in which an athlete sustains a concussion, but does not lose consciousness or have symptoms severe enough that would draw attention to the athlete during the course of competition.

Once a concussion has occurred, the athlete becomes much more likely to sustain a second concussion.  Repeated concussions can result in cumulative damage to the brain, even when the injuries are separated by months or years.  Therefore, it is recommended that a detailed record of all concussions sustained by the athlete during the course of his/her playing career is kept.  It is also important for athletes to report any type of symptoms that they might have and also for teammates and coaches to be suspicious of the athlete that exhibits changes in his/her personality or behavior during the course of a game.   While most concussions are mild and resolve without any long term complications, it is very important to evaluate them thoroughly to avoid potentially long-term brain damage or possibly even life-threatening outcomes.

By: Dr. Tariq Awan, Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan