Author: Lindsey Ulrich
"Anytime you have a head injury, especially with symptoms, you should be evaluated by your medical provider immediately before returning to a sport or physical activity."
If you play sports or follow college and professional sports teams, you probably know concussions can be common and serious. Athletes suffer thousands of concussions a year, often in contact sports such as football, ice hockey, and soccer. If you or your kids are active in sports, it’s important to know the signs of a concussion and when to seek medical help.
“All concussions are incredibly serious as they are a type of brain injury, and if not treated properly, they can cause long-lasting and permanent effects on cognition and your overall wellbeing,” said David Pohl, DO, a sports medicine specialist and family physician at McLaren Greater Lansing. “Anytime you have a head injury, especially with symptoms, you should be evaluated by your medical provider immediately before returning to a sport or physical activity.”
Symptoms can vary from person to person, and based on the severity of the concussion, they don’t always show up right away. You should see a doctor if you develop headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, changes in hearing or vision, neck pain, fatigue, insomnia, confusion, or difficulty concentrating after a head injury.
Playing with a concussion puts you at a significantly higher risk of further injuries. The most severe risk is getting another brain injury called second impact syndrome.
“When someone sustains a second concussion when the first one isn’t fully healed, it can cause swelling in the brain and could potentially be fatal,” said Dr. Pohl. “Playing with a concussion also puts you at a high risk of other musculoskeletal injuries as the concentration and coordination needed to participate in sports are decreased due to the trauma from the brain injury.”
If an athlete experiences more severe symptoms such as loss of consciousness, seizure-like activity, repeated nausea or vomiting, or slurred speech, or if one pupil is larger than the other, they should go to the emergency department immediately as this could be a sign of a brain bleed.
A person with a concussion can typically return to their sport within two weeks, but it could take a month or longer. Dr. Pohl suggests coaches, parents, and athletes visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) HEADS UP page for resources on how to keep children and teens healthy and safe while playing sports.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pohl, click here.
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