It may seem like we keep banging the concussion drum, but this story doesn’t go away. According to new information published online today, the number of concussion-related hospital emergency visits for children ages 8-13 doubled between 1997 and 2007 (a 100% increase). For youth age 14-19, the increase was 200%, a 4-fold increase.
The cause of [...]
The average cyclist crashes about every 4,500 miles. Kids? Seems like at least once a week. Wearing a helmet has been shown to prevent up to 75% of cyclists’ head injuries… and are required by law in the state of North Carolina for all cyclists under age 16.*
Here’s what you need to know about choosing [...]
“Tuesdays with Morrie” is the heartbreaking story of the final life lessons imparted by a beloved teacher dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Today, the New York Times reports on an astonishing bit of science that expands the tragedy: Some people diagnosed with ALS may not have the disease. [...]
On July 29, 2010, I wrote about the danger of metal bats in youth baseball. There are a growing number of head and brain injuries caused when baseballs hit by metal bats strike a pitcher in the head. Some players have been severely injured. One 16-year-old young man, Gunnar Sandberg, was nearly killed by a [...]
An article in today’s USA TODAY reports the growing number of head and brain injuries suffered by young athletes due, at least in part, to metal baseball bats. Take the examples of two families, the Sandbergs and the Schlesners:
They’ve each had a son on the verge of dying after being struck on the head by [...]
Finally, finally, finally! Professional locker rooms across the country will be undergoing minor redecoration, with players’ health in mind.
The National Football League (NFL) has released its official, new poster, which clearly lists symptoms of concussion and potential long-term effects. In one section, the poster says that traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to “…problems with [...]
A study of nearly 200 Vietnam vets found that 13% of those with penetrating head wounds developed epilepsy more than 14 years later. A few veterans had new seizures that popped up 35 years after the initial injury.
The results of the Vietnam Head Injury Study, published in the journal Neurology, confirmed that epilepsy is common after [...]
Most of us have fond memories of those “Hey, watch me dive” days from our childhood. I remember one summer when my cousin slipped while running around the edge of the pool and split his lip on the concrete… and another year when my teenage friend nearly drowned after body surfing in the dark. In hindsight, it is obvious that we were all pretty lucky that our injuries weren’t worse than that. Those memories just as easily could have been tragic.
…if you’re a glass-is-half-full kind of person, you could take the AANS report as a license to turn off the cell phone and enjoy your time outdoors. Summer, sports, and safety–that’s having it all!
Concussion is finally gaining respect as a serious injury. Doctors have begun calling it “mild traumatic brain injury,” which more fully and accurately defines what concussion really is. High schools and high school sports organizations have begun setting more stringent standards for evaluating a student athlete after a head injury–no matter how minor the injury [...]