Sports are a great way to stay active while having fun. An inherent risk of engaging in sports is being injured. In the United States, there are approximately 300,000 sports-related head injuries every year. As far as injuries go, head injuries can be some of the most dangerous injuries one can sustain. Head injuries can range from mild to severe depending on the damage done to your brain. Continue reading to learn signs a sports-related head injury could be serious.
Concussions are the most common sports-related head injury. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt directly to the head or a hit to the body that causes your head and brain to move back and forth. The brain moving back and forth inside your skull can cause chemical changes within the brain and harm brain cells.
Signs of a concussion are:
- The inability to remember events that happened before or after a hit or fall
- Being in a dazed state
- Confusion about what is going on
- Clumsy movement
- Loss of consciousness
- Mood, behavior, and personality changes
Symptoms of concussions include:
- Headaches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Balance issues
- Dizziness
- Double or blurry vision
- Sensitivity to light and/or noise
- Difficulty concentrating
- Confusion and problems remembering
Head injuries can be classified into 5 different grades:
- Grade 1: Mild trauma to the head physically, such as a bump or cut.
- Grade 2: Headaches or migraines.
- Grade 3: Mild traumatic brain injury with a change in mental status, loss of consciousness for less than 1 minute, or amnesia for less than 30 minutes.
- Grade 4: Traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness for less than 5 minutes or amnesia for less than 24 hours.
- Grade 5: Traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness for more than 5 minutes or amnesia for more than 24 hours. Grade 5 injuries can also have brain bruising, brain bleeding, and increased pressure inside the skull.
Even a mild concussion is a cause for seeking medical attention, especially if the person has experienced head injuries before.
Signs that you should immediately seek medical attention for a head injury include:
- Headaches continue to get worse and do not go away
- Weakness, numbness, convulsions, or seizures
- Repeated vomiting
- Slurred speech
- One pupil is much larger than the other
- Confusion, restlessness, forgetfulness, or agitation
- Loss of consciousness
Untreated head injuries can cause long-lasting effects over your lifetime. Seek medical attention immediately after a sports-related head injury occurs to ensure your health and safety.
If you or a loved one has experienced a head injury caused by the negligence of another party, our personal injury attorneys at Glass & Robson are happy to help you. We are here to represent you and get the compensation you deserve so you can focus on your recovery. Schedule a consultation today!
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_whatis.html
https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_symptoms.html
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/concussion/symptoms.html
https://brighamhealthhub.org/sports-related-head-injuries-when-is-it-safe-to-return-to-play/ https://www.hollandhospital.org/healthylife/healthy-life-blogs/preventing_head_injuries_in_athletes_276