What You Need to Know About Brain Injuries & Concussions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a concussion?
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to either the head or the body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. A concussion changes how the brain normally functions. Concussions can have serious and long-term health effects, and even a seemingly mild 'ding' or a bump on the head can be serious. Signs and symptoms of a concussion include headache, nausea, fatigue, confusion or memory problems, sleep disturbances, or mood changes; symptoms are typically noticed right after the injury, but some might not be recognized until days or weeks later.
How many sports related concussions occur each year?
An estimated 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur in the United States each year. Between 2001-2005, children and youth ages 5-18 years old accounted for 2.4 million sports-related emergency department (ED) visits annually, of which 6% (135,000) involved a concussion.
In what sports are concussions most often reported?
In organized high school sports, concussions occur more often in competitive sports, with football accounting for more than 60% of concussions. For males, the leading cause of high school sports concussion is football; for females the leading cause of high school sports concussion is soccer.
Among children and youth ages 5-18 years old, the five leading sports or recreational activities which account for concussions include: bicycling, football, basketball, playground activities, and soccer.
What is known about sports concussion risk and recovery?
High school athletes' recovery times for a sports concussion are longer than college athletes' recovery times. High school athletes who sustain a concussion are three times more likely to sustain a second concussion. Lack of proper diagnosis and management of a concussion may result in serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death.
What should you do if you think you or your child has had a concussion?
- Seek medical attention right away. A healthcare professional will be able to decide when it is safe to return to sports.
- Do not return to play with a known or suspected concussion until evaluated and given permission by an appropriate health care professional. Second concussions that occur before you have recovered can be very serious.
- Tell your coach or child's coach about any recent concussions.
Concussion & Brain Injury Facts
- According to CDC estimates, 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur each year in the U.S.
- 10% of all contact sport athletes sustain concussions yearly.
- Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury. In football, brain injuries account for 65% to 95% of all fatalities. Football injuries associated with the brain occur at the rate of one in every 5.5 games. In any given season, 10% of all college players and 20% of all high school players sustain brain injuries.
- 87% of professional boxers have sustained a brain injury.
- 5% of soccer players sustain brain injuries as a result of their sport.
- The head is involved in more baseball injuries than any other body part. Almost half of the injuries involve a child's head, face, mouth or eyes.
- An athlete who sustains concussion is 4-6 times more likely to sustain a second concussion.
- The effects of a concussion are cumulative in athletes who return to play prior to complete recovery.
- Up to 86% of athletes that suffer a concussion will experience Post-Traumatic Migraine or some other type of headache pain. In fact, recent evidence indicates that presence and severity of headache symptoms may be a very significant indicator of severity of head injury and help guide return to play decisions.
- 1.5 million Americans suffer from traumatic brain injuries
- A traumatic brain injury occurs every 15 seconds.
- Traumatic brain injury is the number one cause of death in children and young adults.
- Traumatic brain injuries cause 1.5 times more deaths than AIDS