UW Health's Sports Medicine doctors treat a wide range of common athletic injuries.
Statistics
- Twenty percent of the 1.5 million head injuries that occur in the United States each year are sports-related
- Approximately one-tenth of sport-related injuries require hospitalization
- Twenty percent of high school football players and forty percent of college football players will sustain a head injury at some point in their career
- Those who have had a head injury are two to four times more likely to have another head injury
Definitions
Concussion refers to a mild traumatic injury to the brain without an associated structural abnormality such as bleeding. It may occur with or without loss of consciousness.
Signs/Symptoms
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Unsteadiness
- Nausea
- Feeling "in a fog"
- Vomiting
- May or may not involve loss of consciousness
Concussion Classification/Grading
While professionals use a variety of classification/grading systems to define concussion, it is symptomatic behavior that is of most importance when determining whether to allow individuals to return to activity!
- Grade I - mild: Confusion with no associated loss of consciousness, may return to activity if symptoms do not worsen and resolve within 15–20 minutes.
- Grade II-III - moderate and severe: Concussions will present with more obvious signs and symptoms including possible loss of consciousness. Individuals sustaining a moderate or severe concussion should not return to play that day and must be cleared before returning to future play.
What to Watch for After a Head Injury
Normal signs in the first two days include:
- Fatigue and desire for extra sleep (can be awakened normally)
- Headache (mild, not worsening)
- Nausea and vomiting (occasional, not persistent)
- Problems with thinking, concentration and attention span (may persist for extended periods)
Signs that suggest the need for immediate medical attention include:
- Marked change in personality, often with confusion and irritability
- Worsening headache, especially if associated with nausea or vomiting
- Numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs, changes in breathing pattern or seizure
- Eye and vision changes (double vision, blurred vision, unequal-sized pupils)
Preventing Head Injuries
- Understand concussion severity and symptom presentation
- Follow a physician’s “return to play” guidelines
- Equipment should be properly fitted, routinely checked and replaced or refitted when necessary (this includes protective oral devices such as mouth-guards)
- Always follow “safe sports techniques” as they pertain to your sport
- If an athlete has sustained a head injury and has concussion symptoms, he/she should not return to play without being evaluated by a medical professional
