Hooray! It’s Brain Injury Awareness Month!
Misplaced enthusiasm? Yeah, probably.
Not many people are even comfortable hearing the words brain and injury in a sentence together. More often there is screaming, and crying, and lots and lots of misconceptions.
That’s why we all need to be aware.
And that’s why we are going to have a frank, but entirely fact checked by a for real medical professional who totally knows her stuff*, discussion (where I talk and you listen) about brain injuries, specifically the one every one thinks they already know everything about: concussions.
Real Talk: What Parents Need to Know About Kids and Concussions
Wait a minute, you said brain injuries, how did we get to concussions?
You’re confused because you didn’t realize concussions were such a thing, right? Well, they are. A concussion really is a type of brain injury (technically they are classified as a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, MTBI if you’re sexy), that’s why they’re serious!
In my experience, the average citizen has a bad rep for not taking concussions seriously (or for taking them way too seriously which is another issue entirely that we will discuss later). When someone gets hit in the head, particularly while engaging in an athletic activity of some sort, people use terms like, “getting your bell rung” or “your chickens got scattered” (yeah, baby, you like my rodeo reference, right?!) to dismissively describe what may actually be the signs and symptoms of a concussion. It’s important for parents and coaches and even athletes themselves to understand that when you’ve experienced an action that has the potential to cause such an injury AND you are exhibiting the signs and symptoms of a concussion, you need to be evaluated by a medical professional. In a medical setting. Not at the post game party when Aunt Betty, the nurse comes up and ruffles your hair to see how you’re doing.
Ok, so concussions. Got it: kid gets knocked out he has one, he doesn’t, he, uh doesn’t, right?
WRONG. There are a multitude of misconceptions about concussions. How they’re caused, how they’re diagnosed, how they should be treated. It’s like those people who say they can tell the sex of your baby by looking at your belly. They’re fakers, just like most of what you think you know about concussions.
So let’s fix that.
First, if you want to learn about concussions, DO NOT GOOGLE it. Instead you should go straight to the source: the Centers for Disease Control. They know what’s up when it comes to concussions. A lot of what you read elsewhere is written by crazy people not based on fact and/or research and, therefore, is not to be trusted.
Because I know you’re lazy probably not going to click away from this scintillating post to go see what the CDC has to say, let me give you some info. These are the signs and symptoms of concussions according to the CDC:
It’s important to note that you may not observe these signs immediately, and little probably-concussed-Billy may not be experiencing all of these symptoms immediately (or he may not notice right away, or he may be a big fat liar because he doesn’t want to get benched during the playoff game), doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a concussion. If you are suspicious, keep your eyes peeled for the above.
Other lies someone told you:
- You don’t have to lose consciousness to be concussed.
- Helmets do NOT protect your child from concussions, neither do any of the other products you’ve seen on the market that say they do.
- There is no set “return to play time”, meaning your doc shouldn’t see your kid and say he gets to go back in two weeks and that’s it. There is more to it than that.
- Your child won’t suddenly die after three concussions.
Okay, let’s talk about the pigskin elephant in the room: football. You let your kid play, why? And also, should I?
I’m with that. Yep. And, maybe.
I’ve written countless times about why my son plays football. I’ve shared the passion he has for the sport that makes it a necessary part of his life. But, let me just sum it up for you again: my son loves football the way other kids love art or music or dancing; it comes from his heart, it fills up his soul, and it makes him happy in a way that nothing else he does seems to. I wouldn’t take that away unless I absolutely had to. And, when you really examine how likely he is to actually sustain a serious injury on the football field, it really doesn’t fit into the “absolutely have to” category for me.
He is more likely to sustain a concussion on his bike, falling down the stairs, or playing on the playground at school than he is during the 3 months of football he plays each year. Just sayin’.
Plus, the moment the NFL got involved and helped breathe life into USA Football’s Heads Up Football program, I feel like things immediately started to look up for this sport.
Honestly, I think other sports should be taking notes (yeah, MLS, I’m talking to you, soccer players rates of concussions aren’t looking much better than football players right now) and begging for the opportunity to be involved.
The investment in time and resources (including research and medical professionals who know their shiz) the NFL is putting behind the issue of health and safety is providing so much information for, not just football players, but humanity in general when it comes to groundbreaking concussion research.
As USA Football continues to work with the NFL to change how the sport is played by youth athletes, I anticipate a culture shift in football that will make it a better, safer game for all those who love to play it. I am truly excited about the future of this game.
But, choosing to let your child play, is something you have to work out in your own mind. Before you decide, I urge you to do your research (good start reading this post!). Educate yourself about football and where it is headed (USA Football is a good place to start). Get to know your local football community and make sure they are on the same page.
My super smart doctor friend says she encourages parents to do a risks/rewards assessment when they are determining if their child should play sports. If the rewards your child gets from the activity are greater than the risk of injury they are likely to sustain, then maybe playing is a good idea. If not, then not so much.
Clearly our answer so far has been a resounding, “You betcha!”
*Dr. Elizabeth Peiroth is my personal medical consultant. I lie, she works for North Shore University Health System taking care of a bunch of athlete’s (student & professional) brains.