Important Notice

Important Statistics

Each year between 1.6 and 3.8

million sports-related traumatic
brain injuries occur.
Approximately one-third of all
injury related deaths are due to a
traumatic brain injury.
Around 90,000 people annually
experience long-term disabilities
resulting from traumatic brain
injuries.
Annually, approximately 1.5
million people experience a
traumatic brain injury.
Studies suggest that for every 27
head injuries, only 1 gets
reported.

These stats reflect the frequency of

which head injuries occur and also
highlight the notion that most of such
injuries go undocumented. This suggests
that players ignore their injuries and
continue to play through them, a very
poor decision for athletes to make given
the facts and science we have today
about brain injuries.

As all the information has suggested,

head injuries and brain injuries are very
serious injuries no matter how
insignificant they may seem. The
slightest injuries have the potential to
cause long-lasting, debilitating effects.
Studies suggest that more often than not,
a head injury, especially in sports, may
go unreported. This calls for the general
public, those involved in sports, fellow
athletes, parents, and fans alike to band
together to press the issue of head
injuries. The numbers suggest that
sports breed a culture of toughness and
playing through pain, but when it comes
to head injuries there needs to be a no
tolerance attitude. Through awareness
and spreading information about why
these injuries should be addressed, the
potential effects, and the signs of brain
injuries, we can press the issue and
make it a cultural norm to take them
seriously.
Protect our athletes, our fellow citizens,
and our children. Get informed and
spread awareness.

Head Injuries:
Things You Need
to Know

By: John A. Durbin

What Should I Look for when

Someone Experiences a Head
Injury?

Why Should I be Concerned

about Head Injuries?
Head injuries can commonly come
across as a minor injury, but the reality
is that even slight injuries can
potentially be much more dangerous.
Injuries such as this may cause much
more than just swelling and bruising. In
severe cases, cranial fractures,
concussions, and traumatic brain
injuries, resulting from the brain being
jostled or struck, can occur with
debilitating effects.
Experiencing these injuries has the
capacity to be life changing. While in
some cases effects may be apparent and
easy to identify, in other cases the effects
can lay dormant for months, and
sometimes even years.
Given that these injuries can have
serious and even prolonged effects, they
are no laughing matter and should be
addressed, no matter how severe,
immediately.

When you witness someone experience

a head injury, the first priority is to get
someone with professional medical
training on the scene. Immediate
medical attention, by means of
ambulance or EMT, should be called
upon when the victim is experiencing
any of the following symptoms:

Drowsiness
Blood from impact area or
nose/ears
Worsening headache
Memory loss
Vomiting
Dizziness or confusion
Vision or hearing problems
Unconsciousness
Trouble speaking or
understanding dialogue
Convulsions

The symptoms laid out above are for

severe head injuries and should be
treated accordingly. In the event that
someone experiences a head injury and
does not display any of these symptoms,
it does not mean the person is
completely fine. While an ambulance
may not be completely necessary, the
victim should still seek medical aid to
avoid the potential of prolonged effects.

What Can Happen If Someone

Ignores a Head Injury?
Head injuries are commonly, and to the
doctors dismay, ignored or put off as
something minor or insignificant. This
can be a deadly mistake as effects of a
brain injury may not present themselves
until later in life. This is seen especially
in retired professional football players
as they experience cognitive difficulties
as a result from injuries they incurred
while still active players.
The brain is a very complex organ. The
initial trauma of a head injury may often
cause symptoms to appear, but in some
cases the trauma is delayed. In these
instances the brain swells, cutting of
blood circulation through the brain
causing parts of the brain to falter from
lack of oxygen. It is in this process that
results in debilitating effects including
mental disabilities, physical disabilities,
and, in the worst of cases, premature
death.