A couple of families are hiking in a large hilly park in Colorado when they hear two boys coming down the hill behind them on mountain bikes. It’s steep but they’re managing when suddenly one of them goes down. It takes him a minute to right himself, to sit up on the ground but he seems fine. He can’t recall exactly how he ended up falling, so one of the adults starts asking questions. What’s your name? How old are you? Where do you live? The bike is messed up.
At first he’s fine, answering everything. But then he begins a gradual slide into not being sure about anything. The word concussion is bantered around and someone calls 9-1-1. Two adults begin to hike out so they can help the EMTs find the boy. Another adult sits behind him, talking to him and keeping him alert until help arrives.
Concussion is one of those medical terms most people know, just like virus, flu and fracture. There are an estimated 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions in the United States each year, according to Brainline.org. It seems fairly common. But did you know concussion falls under the umbrella of traumatic brain injury?
Traumatic brain injury, TBI, is defined as a blow or jolt to the head that changes how the brain functions. A concussion is a mild TBI, but that doesn’t change the definition. Signs of concussion are:
- headache
- fatigue
- confusion
- memory problems
- sleep disturbances
- mood changes
Some of these may not be noticed for a few weeks.
Brainline.org lists bicycling, football, basketball, playground activities and soccer as the five sports that top the list of concussions for children ages 5-18.
It’s summer! Go out and enjoy the weather and activities and know the signs of concussion!
