Concussions send over 173,000 children to the emergency room every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While children under age 10 are more likely to suffer a head injury from playing or bicycling, the top cause of head injuries in older kids and teens is organized sporting events. As Texas school kids head back to their classrooms, practice fields, and courts this year, parents and teachers need to stay alert for the signs of concussion in students.
Experienced Texas brain injury lawyers encourage grownups to review the CDC’s checklist of concussion signs and symptoms. Some of the more common signs include:
- The injured person seems dazed or forms sentences slowly, as if he or she has difficulty thinking. Memory may also be impaired.
- The injured person complains of pain or pressure in the head, balance problems, dizziness, nausea, numbness or tingling.
- The injured person has trouble concentrating, thinking clearly, remembering information, or keeping up with schoolwork or conversations. He or she may also report feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or “slowed down.”
- The injured person’s moods change. Irritability, sadness, anxiety, and mood swings are all common emotional changes that occur after a head injury.
If the injured person loses consciousness, cannot be awakened, has a headache that gets worse or doesn’t go away, is vomiting repeatedly, or shows slurred speech, convulsions, or seizures, seek medical help immediately. Never assume that because a player did not lose consciousness, he or she does not have a concussion. The CDC reports that fewer than 10 percent of concussions involve a loss of consciousness.