The impact of concussions on student-athletes

Every three minutes, an athlete between the ages of seven and 19 arrives in the emergency room to receive treatment for a concussion, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2014.

The epidemic of concussions is expanding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the amount of reported concussions doubled from 2002 to 2012.

A concussion is a classification of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by an impact to the head or body during which the head and brain experience sudden movement.

Of complications of the impact, the CDC explained, “This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain.”

Negative effects of concussion can be minimized. Lind-Ritzville/Sprague certified athletic trainer Dustin Killian explained, “The most important part is for the individual who may be suffering from a concussion and those that they come in contact with recognize the signs and symptoms early.”

He stressed if concussions are “taken care of early… it can be managed properly and that individual can be returned to activity in the safest manner possible.”

Signs and symptoms of concussions can be either observed or reported. Observed symptoms can include inability to remember events before or after impact; “dazed or stunned” appearance; forgetfulness, confusion, or abnormal clumsiness; slow reactions or speech; changes in mood or personality; or loss of consciousness.

Reported symptoms can include headache or head “pressure”; nausea; difficult balancing or seeing clearly; irritation from light or sound; “sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy” feelings; inability to remember or concentrate; or the use of the key indicating phrases “I’m not feeling right” or “I’m feeling down.”

“Signs and symptoms generally show up soon after the injury. However, you may not know how serious the injury is at first and some symptoms may not show up for hours or days,” said the CDC. “For example, in the first few minutes your child or teen might be a little confused or a bit dazed, but an hour later your child might not be able to remember how he or she got hurt.”

Symptoms of concussions can cause complications for athletes not only on the court or field, but also in the classroom.

Dr. Nirav Shah, a neurosurgeon at CentraState Medical Center in New Jersey explains, “Side effects from concussions can linger long after physical symptoms — dizziness, headaches and light sensitivity — have disappeared. Clinical findings reported in the Wall Street Journal have also found that the mental exertion of normal, routine class work can actually worsen the effects of a concussion and impede successful recovery.”

Killian agreed: “Trying to simply fight through the symptoms is only going to cause the recovery time to drag out longer and puts the person at a much higher risk of a more serious injury occurring. It’s much better to simply manage the concussion correctly from the start because things only get worse if steps are skipped or ignored.”

In recognition of the time required to heal from concussions, the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association provides schools with guidelines after an athlete receives a concussion.

Killian described the procedure: “Currently, the protocol we follow at the school calls for complete rest, both physical and cognitive, until all the signs and symptoms of the concussion have been absent for a minimum of 24 hours. Once that 24 hour period has passed then the person with the concussion would start a five step, graduated exercise program.”

This program includes light aerobic activity, followed by moderate activity, heavy, non-contact activity, full-contact activity (practice), and finally full activity.

Ideally, concussions would be prevented to begin with. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

“Preventing concussion from occurring is difficult, because really each person is different and the amount of force necessary to actually cause a concussion can be drastically different between individuals,” Killian explained.

Efforts towards prevention can include situational awareness in athletes, playing by the rules, utilizing proper technique, and staying hydrated. Protective equipment is on the market, however evidence supporting their effectiveness is controversial.

It remains that the best way for student-athletes to maintain their safety and minimize the complications of concussions is to be as knowledgeable as possible about TBI.

“Concussion is a very important topic to me,” concluded Killian. “It’s a very important topic in today’s sport world, and the more we do to get people aware the better.”