David Crawford discusses concussions

Sports medicine doctor David Crawford says that if you practice dangerous contact sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling, or football and soccer, you may be at risk of suffering a concussion. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects brain function. Its effects are usually temporary, but they come with headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance, and coordination. This injury is usually caused by a blow to the head, as well as violent shaking of the head and upper body. Most concussions won’t cause you to lose consciousness, but very hard blows to the head might. Falls are the most common cause of this injury.

The signs and symptoms of this injury can be subtle and may not show up immediately, and can last for days or weeks, sometimes longer. Along with headache and confusion, it may be accompanied may be accompanied by amnesia, usually involving forgetting the event that caused the concussion. Physical symptoms also include nausea, ringing in the ears, fatigue or drowsiness, blurry vision or “seeing stars”, slurred speech, and delayed response to questions. The concussed person may also appear dazed and easily forget things, usually asking the same question repeatedly. Days after the injury, the patient may have concentration and memory complaints, become irritable and sensitive to light and noise, and may suffer from sleep disturbances.

To prevent this injury, David Crawford recommends wearing protective gear during sports and other recreational activities, as well as buckling your seat belt while on the road. It is also best to keep your home well-lit and your floors free of anything that may cause anyone to trip or fall because surprisingly, falls around the home are one of the leading causes of head injury. Exercising regularly can also help prevent concussions, as strong leg muscles help you improve your balance. Lastly, sports medicine doctors recommend that everybody gets educated about this injury – what causes it, its risk factors, and what to do in case it happens.

Comments