Getting a concussion can put a pause on an athlete’s career.
If someone doesn’t want to stop playing, they may not report it.
According to a report from the CDC, concussions are not always reported.
The CDC says more education needs to be done so people know when to recognize and get treatment for a concussion.
A concussion is caused by a head trauma that makes the brain hit the skull, and results in swelling, bruising and sometimes internal bleeding.
Memory loss, irregular emotions and chronic pain can result.
Recovering from this kind of injury is a long process, and can often take someone away from sports for weeks or months.
An athlete may not think it’s serious enough to report it, or they may not want to remove themselves from the game.
Carolyn Glavacevic, athletic therapist at Lethbridge College says the college is very strict on its concussion procedure.
“It’s a step by step by step approach that is accepted around the world, we have to go no symptoms first, then light activity. We make sure that once the brain gets increased blood flow to the head, we make sure there are no return to symptoms.”
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Long term effects of hiding or not knowing about an injury can be serious.
Avid motorcyclist, snowmobiler and former volleyball player Blake Thomson had six concussions throughout his life, and only had three of them treated. Thomson often has trouble focusing, and sometimes suffers from short-term memory loss. He says experience with snowmobile stunts is likely the cause of his lasting symptoms.
“When you hit hard enough I’ve cracked helmets and broken visors lots. When you’re on video and you can hear your head hit the handlebars, you probably have a concussion.”
According to the University of Pittsburgh Medicine Centre, 50 per cent of concussions are unreported or undetected.
Concussions are a serious issue with athletes. Treating it can shorten the recovery time and mitigate the long-term effects.
