

It has been reported that more than 62,000 concussions are sustained each year in high school contact sports. Additionally, the likelihood of suffering a concussion while playing a contact sport is estimated to be as high as 19% per year of play in other words, almost all athletes of contact sports suffer from a concussion within five years of participation. University of Pittsburgh's Brain Trauma Research Center reports more than 300,000 sports-related concussions occur annually in the U.S. The highest incidence of TBI occurred in people over the age of 75, children aged 0-4 years and individuals aged 15-24 years. Each year, more than 800,000 children are treated for TBI at emergency departments in the U.S. If any of these occur after a blow to the head, a health-care professional should be consulted as soon as possible.Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance report of traumatic brain injuries, about 2.87 million TBI-related ED visits, hospitalizations and deaths occurred in the United States in 2014. Vision disturbances (double or blurry vision).A second concussion soon after the first one does not have to be very strong for its effects to be permanently disabling. In most cases, a single concussion should not cause permanent damage. Neurosurgeons and other brain injury experts emphasize that although some concussions are less serious than others, there is no such thing as a minor concussion. They may act confused, dazed or describe “seeing stars.” Paramedics and athletic trainers who suspect a person has suffered a concussion may ask the injured person if they know their name, what month/year it is and where they are.Įven mild concussions should not be taken lightly. People with concussions often report a brief period of amnesia or forgetfulness, where they cannot remember what happened immediately before or after the injury. A concussion can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance and muscle coordination.
