Concussions.....

The bane of the high school athlete...concussions. High schoolers are the most prone to getting a concussion. This is because their brain and skull aren't fully developed, yet they are going at everything 100%, or more in some cases. Younger athletes don't push themselves as hard, and thus aren't as likely to get a concussion as an older athlete. At the same point in time, adult athletes have a fully developed skeletal system, so are less likely to sustain injury to the brain.

A concussion is a traumatic head injury that occurs both from mild and severe blows to the head. It is typically caused by a severe blow during which the brain moves around violently in the skull. Brain cells will fire all at once, much like a seizure. This may result from a fall or when an object hits the head. A sudden turning of the head, like from a punch will more often result in unconsciousness.

Symptoms
Some early symptoms of concussions include

• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Memory Loss
• Unconsciousness
• Unequally sized pupils
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Tinnitus
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Vision Changes

Later symptoms would include

• Memory disturbances
• Poor Concentration
• Irritability
• Sleep disturbances
• Personality changes
• Fatigue

At the beginning of each season, an ImPACT test is done so there is a base line to measure against to see if a concussion is present. ImPACT stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. If there is a concussion, the best that can be done is rest. That is really the only way it is going to get better. No physical activity can be done immediately following the concussion, for at least a week, usually 2 or 3 weeks, then the athlete will start to work their way back up to full activity.