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Health & Fitness

Some Teen Athletes Should Head for the Bench

Learn why concussions are serious injuries that require taking a break from sporting activity.

by Emory Johns Creek Hospital/Special

Participating in sports is great for teens. It fosters teamwork, helps develop healthy exercise habits and often gives kids a sense of belonging. Let’s not forget it’s also fun. With fall sports in full swing and winter sports just around the corner, we’re also reminded that injuries are, unfortunately, often a part of the game.

Teen athletes are exposed to a whole host of sport-related injuries, both acute (those occurring suddenly) and happening over time, from overuse or over-training. Our sports-crazed culture may encourage teen athletes to play despite an injury, but studies show there are certain physical traumas that require athletes to take a break.

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A knock on the noggin’ is one of them. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines a concussion as a brain injury caused by a blow to the head that can change the way a person’s brain normally works. Concussions are most common in contact sports. While sometimes a concussion is obvious, many times teen athletes don’t recognize a simple bump on the head could be serious. However, they all can be serious.

“More often than not, concussions occur without loss of consciousness,” said Brenda Friedman, MD, medical director, Emory Johns Creek Hospital Department of emergency medicine. “Most people know that if they’re knocked unconscious, they need to go straight to the emergency room. But, many don’t realize that if they sustain even a minor head bump, they need to be thoroughly checked by a doctor before playing again. Studies show students who return to sports quickly after a concussion experience slower brain recovery than those who stay off the field longer.”

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However, the fact of the matter is that many teen athletes don’t think their symptoms are serious enough to report or they just want to get back in the game. Symptoms of a concussion range from dizziness, nausea and headaches to forgetting plays, being confused about assignments or not being able to recall recent events.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates there are 300,000 mild to moderate sports- and recreation-related head injuries each year in the United States. Friedman said proper medical treatment and management when these injuries first occur can prevent further injury and even death.

“When any type of head injury happens, the athlete needs to be removed from the game,” said Friedman. “He or she needs to be evaluated by a doctor and the parents should be educated on the symptoms of a concussion. The player should only return to playing after being cleared by a doctor. If dizziness, headaches or nausea exist, the player should be benched until the symptoms are gone for at least a week.”

Statistics reported at TeenGrowth.com say that after sustaining one brain injury, the risk for a second injury is three times greater, and, after that, the risk for a third injury is eight times greater. Therefore, medical professionals suggest that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Because this “second-impact syndrome” is a grave cause for concern, they say coaches, administrators, parents and teen athletes themselves need to insist on safety first. Besides ensuring all equipment is up to safety standards, teen athletes should be encouraged not to play if injured. Players with previous head injuries should be evaluated pre-season and a health care professional should be on staff to manage injuries during practices and games. And of course, always wear a helmet.

“We’ve all heard the horror stories about football players, for example, sustaining minor hits on the field, hopping up with no symptoms and continuing the game. A week later, the player is dizzy and forgetful, and it gets worse from there,” said Friedman. “Even though serious permanent brain damage and death are not the most common results of a head injury, they can happen. We only get one head, so we need to take care of it.”

Founded in 2007, Emory Johns Creek Hospital is committed to meeting the health care needs of Johns Creek and surrounding areas. We are a full-service, 110-bed, acute-care hospital with a full range of services, including round-the-clock emergency care with board-certified emergency physicians, all-digital imaging including a 64-slice CT, MRI, The Birth Place with Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 24-hour anesthesiologists, intensive care, advanced cardiac care, vascular medicine and surgery, rehabilitation surgery and women’s services. Our hospital is recognized for its Centers of Excellence in bariatric surgery and breast imaging, is accredited in mammography, breast biopsy and breast ultrasound and is a certified Primary Stroke Center.

For more information, contact us at 678-474-8200 or visit our website at www.emoryjohnscreek.com.

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