Much has been made of the impact playing football has on the brain lately. This is, in part, due to the number of professional football players found to be acting irrationally – and in some instances, violently, a move that many doctors believe is due to the number of concussions sustained over the course of their careers. However, the hits start long before a player’s professional career and millions of dollars ensue. It often begins in high school, where concussions from hits can have a devastating effect on a young brain. Visiting a Phoenix doctor is a great first step to address a concussion after sustaining a hit; however, education on concussions and who is affected and how are also important educational tools to prevent lasting injury from these types of head-related injuries.
In addition to regular visits to a Phoenix doctor, knowledge about concussions and recognition of the signs of one are helpful to ensure immediate medical attention, as necessary. A concussion is a brain injury that occurs among all sports and, when mismanagement, can result in greater injury and sometimes even death. It is caused by a blow to the head, or even the body, that makes your brain to move inside of the skulls. While it sometimes leads to a loss of consciousness, at times it does not, and can have lasting effects. Symptoms of a concussion include confusion, nausea, headache, loss of memory or the ability to concentrate, personality changes, double vision, light sensitivity, among a number of other things. A Phoenix doctor can often diagnose whether or not certain symptoms are related to a possible concussion.
Contact sports and activities tend to have the greatest rate of injuries, particularly concussions, among younger individuals. Leading the way for this area includes football, basketball, soccer and playground activities. The numbers are the highest for football, with .47 for every 1,000 athletes being exposed to a head injury. It is also important to note that males are 71% more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury, likely in part because of the prevalence of males playing on football teams around the country.
It is worth nothing that annually, emergency rooms around the country treat close to 200,000 sports-related injuries, including concussions, among kids from birth to age 19. In fact, this number has increased almost 60% in the last 10 years. This necessitates a need for greater education on how to avoid these types of injuries and more regular visits to a Phoenix doctor for sports-related physical and ensuing information on how to maintain health even while playing.