Don't take risks with athletes with possible head injury

Most coaches and schools are well aware of the dangers that accompany athletics, and take every precaution possible to prevent injury.

We usually think about football when we think about injuries, so athletes who play that sport are among the most well protected in the world. Despite good helmets and other gear, however, head injuries can result in football, as well as in less-protected activity like soccer, baseball and softball, basketball or many others.

Parents should be especially aware of head injuries in light of their child's desire to stay in the competition.

Old slapstick comedy and cartoons made light of blows to the head that knocked characters unconscious, but only in recent years have we learned just how serious even minor concussions can be.

"A concussion is a trauma-induced alteration of mental status that may or may not cause a loss of consciousness and may produce symptoms such as confusion, dizziness or amnesia," said Peter Lennarson, M.D., a neurosurgeon at the Nebraska Medical Center.

Immediate signs of a concussion include confusion, blank stare, slurred speech, stumbling, sleepiness or ringing in the ears. In some cases, symptoms linger for several days. Rest is the only way to resolve a mild concussion. While most symptoms of a concussion resolve on their own, warning signs of a potentially more serious head injury include persistent or worsening headache, nausea, vomiting, decreased alertness, seizures or weakness, he said.

A child should not return to sports-related activities until symptoms have completely cleared, Lennarson stressed, or they could risk suffering brain damage.

And, the effects are cumulative, he said. How severe a concussion is, and whether or not prior concussions have occurred dictate how soon your son or daughter should return to a sport, Lennarson said. Suffering a prior concussion increases one's risk of having a more significant brain injury with a subsequent concussion. Repeated concussions within a short time frame can be detrimental to a child's neurologic health and can cause permanent brain injury.

Lennarson said a child who has transient confusion with no loss of consciousness and resolves within 15 minutes is clear to play again as soon as he or she is back to normal. If the athlete has had multiple prior concussions, however, sports should be off-limits for a week.

A grade three concussion, which involves any loss of consciousness, should be followed by rest for a week to several weeks depending on how long the child was unconsciousness and if there were prior concussions.

"Anyone who has experienced a grade two or three concussion should seek medical attention," Lennarson said.

Sometimes symptoms may not appear for hours or days, and may include worsening symptoms like headache, decreased level of consciousness, difficulty arousing from sleep, nausea and vomiting and dizziness as well as mood and cognitive disturbances, sensitivity to light and noise and sleep disturbances.

Despite the heat of competition, it's up to parents and coaches to make sure young athletes aren't endangering their health by competing with a possible concussion. If there is any question, they should contact their physician.