Tim Tebow and Concussions

Fri, Oct 2, 2009

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Football season has begun. I was flipping through the channels and I caught the portion of the Florida vs. Kentucky football game where Tim Tebow was sacked…hard! So it brings me to the topic of today’s post: concussions. After a hit like that, it’s pretty much a guarantee that a concussion (sometimes called a mild traumatic brain injury) will occur.

Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury. The cause is an impact to the head. This does not include injuries in which there is bleeding under the skull or into the brain. By definition, a concussion is not a life-threatening injury, but it can cause both short-term and long-term problems.

There are basically two types of concussions:

A mild concussion may involve little to no loss of consciousness, and typically leaves the person feeling dazed. Commonly, the patient reports “losing track of time.”
A severe concussion may involve prolonged loss of consciousness, with a delayed return to normal. Obviously, this is the more serious of the two.

The most common causes for concussions are sports injuries, falls, and automobile accidents. Typically, what you’ll see in someone suffering from a concussion would be loss of consciousness, confusion, perseverating (when you continuously repeat yourself), nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of short term memory. This should all be covered during a doctor’s physical exam.

To treat a concussion initially, if it occurs at home, is to apply ice to the swollen area where blood accumulates under the scalp. This bump is called a hematoma. Like usual when applying ice, it’s not wise to put it directly on the skin. It’s usually best to have a washcloth between the ice and skin to prevent frostbite. The earlier you do this, the better. It’s usually recommended that the ice be on for 20 minutes, and off for 20 minutes. If you do suspect a concussion, call your doctor, or 911, and get to the emergency room to ensure that no other neurological damage has occurred. Other than that, the treatment is basically symptomatic with rest, fluids, and mild pain relievers. Following up with your primary physician or a neurologist is pretty standard to ensure that there are no lasting affects of the injury.

Essentially, the best way to “treat” a concussion is to prevent it from happening. Those that suffer from a concussion are actually at a higher risk for having a repeat down the road. So many doctors would recommend avoiding the activity that caused the concussion in the first place.

This isn’t something to downplay. Especially, when we consider that the brain is jiggling around in our skulls – definitely not good. So play safe, and stay healthy.