You don’t need to wrap them up in bubble wrap! I promise.
Warm weather is finally here! It is a good time to remember concussion prevention and awareness. We often think of concussions in athletes, but they can happen with any head injury and often without loss of consciousness. Common injuries this time of year are bicycle accidents, skateboards accidents and even sometimes minor falls. It is important that we do all we can to prevent concussions in the first place. All kids should wear properly fitted helmets and other safety gear when playing contact sports, biking, rollerblading, and skateboarding. We cannot prevent every concussion but we can do the best we can to keep our kids safe and minimize serious head trauma.
Unfortunately, kids will be kids and accidents will happen. So, it is essential for parents and coaches to recognize the common signs and symptoms of a concussion so that children can get prompt treatment and cognitive rest. It is important to monitor children even when they seem to feel okay because a concussion is a moving target and symptoms can sometimes develop hours later. When we miss or dismiss such complaints, we put children at risk for recurrence and more prolonged recovery.
Some of the signs and symptoms of concussions are as follows:
- Loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty walking or balance issues
- Confusion and slurred speech
- Decreased responsiveness
- Memory loss
- Vomiting
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mood swings
Enjoy the long summer days in the safest way so that there are many more long summer days to come.
