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Accidents and Sports Injuries Main Cause of Brain Trauma
Written by OUTLOUD with contribution by Aura Altamiranda
Surely you’ve banged your head hard in the past. Maybe you wiped out on your skateboard or took a nasty hit on the soccer field. So what, right? Wrong.
Medical experts say those simple accidents and sports injuries are the leading causes of head injuries and brain trauma. There are over 300,000 sports related concussion each year in the United States, according to the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Neurological Surgery. Some head injures can result in a concussion which can be dangerous—even life threatening. Many times concussions are overlooked or not taken seriously because it’s not a bloody injury.
Concussions and brain injuries occur when the brain is slammed against the skull. After a fall or an accident, victims of head trauma should be monitored for symptoms indicating it’s a more serious injury, such as severe headaches, nausea, confusion, memory/learning problems and sensitivity to noise and light. A trip to the emergency room for immediate treatment is wise because it is difficult to determine the severity of brain injury and the situation can deteriorate rapidly with blood clots and the brain swelling.
Most high school and college athletes who participate in contact sports have been informed by their coaches about post-concussion syndrome (PCS). This is important because each year more than 62,000 concussions are sustained in high school contact sports; 34 percent of college football players have had one concussion with 20 percent having multiple ones, according to the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Neurological Surgery.
The Journal of Athletic Training reported that football has the highest rate of concussions in high school sports, with girls soccer coming in with the second highest rate
The symptoms for PCS are similar to those of a concussion; however the symptoms might not show up for up to 10 days after the blow to the head. Other PCS symptoms include mood swings, temper outbursts, depression, tiredness, and stubbornness – all the normal emotional conditions of young adults. It’s easy to see why PCS is so difficult to diagnose.
PCS is a hidden injury, no bandages, no casts, no crutches to validate the brain injury. It can last for a period of weeks, months or longer. The Mayo Clinic reports that up to 15 percent of PCS sufferers can have symptoms lasting a year or longer.
According to NeurosurgeryToday.com, cycling, football, basketball, soccer and skateboarding are ranked among the top 10 sports of head injuries treated in the U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2008. The University of Pittsburgh reported that the brain of children and teenagers is still not fully developed, leading the immature brain to be 60 times more susceptible to injury.
WARNING SIGNS of Post Concussion Syndrome: Loss of memory and consciousness, headaches, dizziness, mood swings and temper outbursts, anxiety, insomnia, sensitivity, learning and memory problems, etc.
Outside of football, fatal brain injuries in high school sports are very rare, according to The New York Times. However, PCS is a growing concern among doctors. The Journal of Athletic Training reported that football has the highest rate of concussions in high school sports (47 injuries per 100,000 players), with girls soccer coming in with the second highest rate (36 per 100,000). The study also found that female high school soccer players sustained concussions 68 percent more often than boys.
High school and college athletes often tend to conceal concussion symptoms, choosing to keep playing because of scholarships opportunities or simply for the win. Experts also believe that players hide injuries because they are not aware of the risks. Kate Pellin, a high school basketball player, suffered a concussion with symptoms which persisted for five months. She acknowledged the dangers of the sport and chose to sit out her senior season.
On-screen, stars of the once-raved-about series Jackass made a living out of stunts and received heat from the media over copycats, which led to the deaths of several admirers. In 2002, Adam Ports, 18-year-old Ohio college student, sustained severe head trauma after a fall from a moving truck; his death was pinned to the influence of Jackass. Johnny Knoxville and his crew denied accusations on the matter.
Many questions still remain unanswered about head injuries and brain trauma, especially in the area of diagnosis and treatment. However it’s important to understand why you’re not functioning normally after you’ve received a blow to the head because it validates that your actions/symptoms are “not you” but the result of a brain trauma.
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