Monday, July 22, 2013
Use your head when dealing with concussions
Kasey collided into another soccer player hitting her head
on the ground. She was a “little shook up” but still wanted to play. When the
game was over she felt “sick and had a headache.” Should Kasey have kept
playing?
According Anthony Alessi, MD, a member of the Backus Medical
Staff and Neuro Diagnostics of Norwich, Kasey should not have continued
playing. Kasey could have had a concussion and it was a bad idea for her to
stay in the game.
Dr. Alessi
explains that the brain is made of soft tissue and is cushioned by spinal
fluid, within the skull. When a head injury occurs, the brain can move around
inside the skull and even bang against it. When this happens, a concussion
occurs — a temporary loss of normal brain function.
Most people recover fine from concussions with appropriate
treatment. It’s important to take the proper steps if you suspect a concussion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a few signs and
symptoms of a concussion include:
•
feeling dazed, dizzy or light headed
• not
“feeling right”
• nausea
or vomiting
• headache
• blurred
vision.
An additional source of information is a free app for your
smart phone, provided by The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), a trusted
authority in managing sports concussions. The app “AAN Concussion” is a
valuable resource for coaches, athletic trainers, doctors, parents and athletes
to quickly evaluate the individual.
If you or a
teammate has a hit to the head inform your coach or an adult immediately. Dr.
Alessi says the best treatment for a concussion is rest. Individuals recovering
from a concussion should avoid activities that require a lot of thinking and
concentration.
Concussions can be prevented by taking simple precautions,
such as wearing appropriate safety equipment.
Lisa Cook is a community education nurse for the Backus
Health System. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Cook or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
# posted by ----------------- @ 10:31 AM 
