Concussions

A concussion is an injury to the brain that commonly occurs in sports. There are an estimated three to four million sport-related concussions that occur in athletes each year. Concussions can occur from a direct blow to the head or a blow to somewhere else on the body that produces a jerking motion of the head. Most concussions do not result in being knocked out or losing consciousness.


Common symptoms of a concussion include headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, sensitivity to bright lights or loud sounds, difficulty with concentration or memory, feeling sick to your stomach and emesis (throwing up). Athletes may experience one or more symptoms. If an athlete experiences any of these symptoms after a head injury, it should be assumed that the athlete has had a concussion.

An athlete who sustains a concussion should not be allowed to return to play or resume activity on the day of their concussion. An athlete should not return to sports until evaluated by a medical professional who is experienced in concussion management, and determines the athlete to be free of symptoms both at rest and with activity. An athlete who is still having symptoms has not cleared their concussion.

To learn about the treatment of concussions, click here for additional information.

Female Soccer Players May Face Health Problems - Study

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Intense training combined with insufficient nutrition may threaten the health of young female soccer players, suggests a new study that finds menstrual irregularities and stress fractures are common among these athletes.

Nearly one in five elite female soccer players reported having irregular menstrual cycles, while 14 percent had a stress fracture in the past year, the study found.

Though the toll of so-called "aesthetic sports," such as dance and gymnastics, and endurance sports, such as running, on young women's bodies has been well studied, soccer has largely escaped scrutiny, said lead study author Dr. Heidi Prather, an associate professor and chief of the physical medicine and rehabilitation section at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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