Timberline High School Athletics

What follows below is information for Parents, Coaches and Athletes on Concussions.  The first part is on Facts and Information.  The last part presents a checklist if an athlete has a suspected concussion.

CONCUSSION FACTS AND INFORMATION

• A concussion occurs when a person’s brain is violently rocked back and forth inside of the skull due to a blow to the head or neck.
• Concussions can disturb brain activity and symptoms may include disorientation, confusion, dizziness, amnesia, uncoordinated hand-eye movements, and sometimes unconsciousness. The loss of consciousness results from the disturbance of the brain’s electrical activity. Severe concussion, although rare, can lead to brain swelling, cell and blood vessel damage and even death.
• Symptoms of a concussion are not always definite and the decision to allow the player to return to the game is not always straightforward. Concussions do not always cause unconsciousness and its neuro-cognitive and even some physical effects may not show up on a CT scan or MRI.
• There are different grades or severity concussion.  These range from no loss of consciousness to complete loss of consciousness.  And this is further subdivided by the symptoms the athlete may experience.
• For all levels of concussion, allowing enough healing and recovery time is crucial in preventing any further damage. Research shows that the effects of repeated concussion are cumulative. 
• Most athletes who experience an initial concussion can recover completely as long as they are not returned to contact sports too soon. Following a concussion, there is a period of change in brain function that may last anywhere from 24 hours to 10 days. During this time, the brain is vulnerable to more severe or permanent injury. If the athlete sustains a second concussion during this time period, the risk of permanent brain injury increases.
• Because many mild concussions go undiagnosed and unreported, it is difficult to estimate the rate of concussion in any sport. Studies estimate that approximately 10 percent of all athletes involved in contact sports, such as football, have a concussion each season.
• In high school athletics, there are about 60,000 concussions each year; 63 percent of those occur in football. Other high school sports with a high risk of concussion are: girls and boys soccer (incidence in girls is higher than in boys); girls and boys basketball, lacrosse, and ice hockey.
• Even in contact sports, some concussions may be prevented by teaching and executing proper playing, tackling and defensive techniques; and by wearing properly fitted equipment, especially head gear.

HEAD INJURY INFORMATION CHECKLIST

This information is a FOLLOW-UP sheet for health and safety of an athlete who has a suspected head injury and/or concussion.  Quite often signs of head injury to not appear immediately after trauma but hours after the injury itself.  The purpose of this Check Sheet is to ALERT you to the symptoms of significant heat injuries, symptoms that may occur several hours after you leave the training room. 

If you experience one or more of the following symptoms following a head injury, medical help should be sought immediately.

1. DIFFICULTY REMEMBERING RECENT EVENTS OR MEANINGFUL FACTS
2. SEVERE HEADACHE, PARTICULARLY AT A SPECIFIC LOCATION
3. STIFFENING OF THE NECK
4. BLEEDING OR CLEAR FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE EARS OR NOSE
5. MENTAL CONFUSION OR UNSTEADINESS
6. NAUSEA OR VOMITING
7. DIZZINESS, POOR BALANCE OR UNSTEADINESS
8. WEAKNESS IN EITHER ARM OR LEG
9. ABNORMAL DROWSINESS OR SLEEPINESS
10. CONVULSIONS
11. UNEQUAL PUPILS
12. LOSS OF APPETITE
13. PERSISTENT RINGING OF THE EARS
14. SLURRING OF SPEECH

The appearance of any of the above signs and symptoms tells you that you have had a significant head injury that requires MEDICAL ATTENTION.  DO NOT DELAY in securing assistance.  If the athlete has suffered a mild concussion or presents him or herself with the above signs and symptoms:

•  DO NOT give the athlete aspirin
• DO NOT allow the athlete to consume alcohol
• CHECK on the athlete frequently during the night