A concussion is a head injury resulting from a blow,bump,impact or jolt to the head or a hit to the body that affects the head. The condition occurs whenever these blows or impacts cause the head and brain to quickly move in one direction and then another. These quick movements cause the brain to jolt or twist within the person’s skull,damaging brain cells and creating harmful chemical reactions within the brain. This condition is also classified as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or as a type of mild cranial trauma. An mTBI is especially dangerous while playing in a contact sport such as football or basketball.
The Dangers of mTBI
Injuries that medical providers classify as “mild” are not typically considered life-threatening. While this reasoning applies to head traumas such as mTBIs,they are still very serious. The brain is a very complicated organ. This means that one brain injury will never exactly match a different brain’s injury. Some persons may show symptoms of an mTBI immediately after the head injury,while others may show symptoms only after several days or weeks have passed. Certain mTBIs can affect a person’s ability to notice or communicate that they are suffering from the condition. When symptoms do show,the injured person may want to consult a brain injury lawyer for advice.
The dangers of mTBIs are that the onset of the symptoms can be very subtle and that recovery from the head injury can vary widely from person to person. This can be especially concerning for those who play sports regularly. They may continue playing and believing that they are healthy,but they have suffered an mTBI that merely hasn’t presented its symptoms yet. Players who unknowingly play sports with mTBIs may delay their recovery processes. Worse yet,they may compound their neurological problems if they suffer one or more additional mTBIs. It is strongly encouraged that those who have suffered or believe that they suffered a TBI or mTBI should be assessed by a medical professional.
Sports Injury mTBI Signs
Sports players,their families,teams,associations and medical specialists who work with sports players must know and look for the signs of mTBIs. Players may wish to brush aside suspected sports injuries due to concerns of downtime and negatively impacting their teams. Players getting an accurate mTBI assessment and medical treatment is much more important to their long-term health and quality of life. Everyone involved in sporting activities should look for the following danger signs from sports players who sustained any head trauma:
- A persistent headache that increases in severity.
- A loss of consciousness of any period,whether the player is knocked out or passes out.
- Any unexplained agitation,restlessness or confusion.
- Players who exhibit signs of numbness,weakness,worsening coordination or slurred speech.
- A person with one pupil that is larger than the other pupil.
- Players experiencing fits of twitching,shaking,convulsions,nausea or vomiting.
Conclusion
It is critical for sports professionals and those involved in the sporting community to spot the danger signs of concussions. If people remain vigilant and spot the signs of mTBI,then players may stay in the game and live long,healthy lives.