“I had to drop some classes, which then took me back a year for going to college.”
– Lauren Saxe, 17 years old
Last October, 17-year-old Lauren Saxe was reading the comics when it happened.
“I could not recognize the words. I was sitting there sounding out words that I had known since I was a little girl, and I just thought I was going crazy,” she says.
Her doctors said her trouble recognizing words was caused by a concussion that she had suffered while rafting a month earlier.
“I didn’t realize that I could get such a big injury from whiplash,” Lauren says.
A study of nearly 200 kids by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital finds that one in four children who suffer a concussion will have headaches, fatigue, forgetfulness and, like Lauren, memory loss months after the injury.
“You really have to look at them very carefully in terms of are they still having headaches, are they still a bit dizzy … are they still thinking straight,” says Dr. Barbara Weissman, a neurologist with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta.
She says if your child suffers a concussion, and a few days later the coach, trainer or the child says he or she is fine, don’t necessarily believe it.
“I think parents know their kids best ultimately,” Dr. Weissman says. “And if the child is still showing signs of concussion and not functioning right, that parent needs to stand up for the child’s best interest and say, ‘No, you’re not going back into sport.’”
Even now, nine months after her concussion, Lauren still forgets words or loses focus while reading.
“I’m not sure if I’m ever going to feel like I’m back to a 100%,” she says.
Tips for Parents
Approximately 62,000 concussions occur each year in high school sports in the United States, with football accounting for 63% of those concussions.
A study from the University of Pittsburgh reveals that high school students who suffer more than one concussion are nine times more likely to show loss of consciousness, confusion and memory loss.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, supports the idea that clear and conservative guidelines need to be created concerning when these young athletes can return to play after suffering a concussion.
The Mayo Clinic defines a concussion as an injury resulting from a violent jar or shock to the head, causing at least a temporary loss in brain function. Concussions are divided into three categories, cited by the University of Missouri Health Care:
Grade 1: A mild concussion occurs a person does not lose consciousness (pass out) but may seem dazed.
Grade 2: A slightly more severe form occurs when a person does not lose consciousness but has a period of confusion and does not recall the event.
Grade 3: A classic concussion, which is the most severe form, occurs when a person loses consciousness for a brief period of time and has no memory of the event.
Evaluation from a health-care provider should be performed as soon as possible after the injury.
What are the symptoms of a concussion? The signs may be slight and subtle at first. Once they appear, they can last for days, weeks or longer.
If your child has recently taken a hit or a fall, the Mayo Clinic suggests that you watch for the following immediate reactions:
Confusion
Amnesia
Headache
Loss of consciousness after injury
Ringing in the ears
Drowsiness
Nausea
Vomiting
Unequal pupil size
Convulsions
Unusual eye movements
Slurred speech
You should also be on the lookout for the following delayed symptoms:
Irritability
Headaches
Depression
Sleep disturbances
Fatigue
Personality changes
Poor concentration
Trouble with memory
Getting lost or becoming easily confused
Increased sensitivity to sounds, lights and distractions
Loss of sense of taste or smell
Difficulty with gait or in coordinating use of limbs
If you notice any of these signs, it is important that your child see your health-care provider immediately. A diagnosed concussion may require your child to stay in the hospital to be closely monitored. If released, your child will be prescribed plenty of rest. Your doctor may suggest giving your child some over-the-counter and prescription medications to relieve the pain.
Since some, but not all, head injuries and concussions are caused by sports and recreational activities, the Nemours Foundation suggests the following tips for protecting your child’s head:
Make sure your child always wears a seatbelt while riding in a vehicle. If your child is under 10, he or she probably needs a booster seat.
Teach your child to look both ways before crossing and obey all streetlights and traffic signs when walking on the street. He or she should always use a crosswalk. Crossing in the middle of the street where cars may not see your child can be dangerous.
Instruct your child to wear appropriate helmets or headgear and other safety equipment when biking, riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), skateboarding, riding a scooter, playing contact sports like football and participating in other activities.
If your child uses care and common sense in all of his or her daily activities, he or she has a much better chance of avoiding a concussion.
References
Mayo Clinic
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Nemours Foundation
University of Missouri Health Care
University of Pittsburgh
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