5 Signs of a Sports-Related Concussion

You watch as your child flies down the field, chasing a ball, and you hope they don’t collide with another player. Or, maybe you love hitting the pickleball court, but you trip and fall, and the court hits you back.

The benefits of being active for you and your family are almost without limit, but these activities also come with potential pitfalls. One of the more common sports injuries is concussions — one study reports that there are about 3.8 million sports-related concussions each year in the United States, with up to 50% of concussions going unreported.

With traumatic brain injuries like concussions, it’s vitally important to recognize the signs of a problem so that you can get important medical intervention. To that end, the experienced team of sports medicine specialists here at Michigan Avenue Primary Care pulled together a few red flags when it comes to concussions.

Concussion 101

Before we get into some telltale signs of a concussion, it’s worth understanding what happens when this common sports injury occurs. In short, a concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs when your brain is rocked violently back and forth inside your skull. As a result of this jolting movement inside the head, important nerves and blood vessels can become bruised or damaged.

The reason why concussions are so common in sports is because there’s ample opportunity for impact and collision. In fact, more than half of ER and urgent care visits among kids between the ages of 5 and 18 are due to potential concussions.

The reason why it’s imperative to have us check out any brain or head injury is to test for concussion. If we find evidence of a brain injury, you need to take appropriate steps moving forward to protect yourself or your child against further brain injury, which can lead to permanent brain damage.

Common signs of concussion

No,w let’s get into some of the hallmarks of a concussion, with the caveat that there’s no black-and-white checklist here. Each person can respond in their own way to a brain injury, but most have some form of the following five symptoms:

1. Head and neck ache

One of the first signs that grab your attention is a headache, which usually also includes a neck ache because a concussion is often the result of the head rocking back and forth. The headache can be dull or strong — some even describe it as a pressure in the skull.

2. Vision issues

People with concussions often have vision issues, such as double vision, sensitivity to light, and blurry vision.

3. Balance problems and fainting

Another potential sign of concussion is balance issues, as well as lightheadedness and even fainting. This wooziness can also lead to nausea and vomiting.

4. Confusion and memory issues

It’s not uncommon for people to have cognitive symptoms after a traumatic brain injury, such as trouble with memory and concentration. You or your family member might even have some short-term amnesia about the injury.

5. Sleep issues

Side effects of a concussion often involve sleep issues on both ends of the spectrum — sleeping too much or having trouble sleeping.

This list is far from complete, but it’s a good start for recognizing a potentially problematic brain injury. These symptoms can develop within the first hours of the accident, making matters a little more complex, but they can also be delayed and not show up for several days.

The bottom line is that anytime you or a loved one has head trauma, it’s important to hit the pause button and come into our urgent care center for an evaluation. Concussions are serious business, and we want to ensure that your next steps protect your brain.

For expert care of sports-related concussions and sports injuries, please come to our urgent care center located in Chicago, Illinois. You can contact us ahead of time to schedule a time or walk in during business hours — M-F, 8 am to 4 pm.