Childhood concussions have become a hot-button issue these days, especially as they pertain to childhood athletics such as football and other full-contact sports. For many, football is a dangerous sport that children just shouldn't participate in. Others, such as Robert Cantu, M.D., believe that only the tackle element needs to be removed in children under age 14, and that the rest of the game can still be enjoyed, according to Time magazine.
Cantu also stressed the importance of proper headgear, such as helmets with chinstraps for sports such as football, field hockey, lacrosse and more traditionally "safe" sports such as baseball and softball. Even the majority of childhood sports proponents agree that they need to be approached with a degree of safety, especially when the health impact of concussions can be so severe.
Side effects of concussions
Though medical professionals often classify concussions as "minor" head injuries because they're usually not directly life-threatening, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned that a concussion is a brain injury, and all brain injuries are serious. Furthermore, the Mayo Clinic warned that there are several major complications that are the direct results of concussion.
One of the major risk factors of those who have experienced a concussion is epilepsy. Those who have incurred a concussion are twice as likely to experience episodes of epilepsy, for up to five years after the initial trauma.
Another potentially serious complication associated with concussion is second-impact syndrome. This occurs when the individual incurs a second head injury before the first concussion has healed completely. This can result in fast and often fatal swelling of the brain.
Finally, those who experience concussion, especially more than one, have an increased likelihood of developing cumulative cognitive damage that may limit or impair a person's functional abilities.
Healing from concussion
Rest is the only way to "cure" a concussion, however, those who experience them may need to make some life adjustments until they are completely healed. This is particularly important for those who have incurred serious head injury due to concussion. Feelings of dizziness, headache, difficulty concentrating, confusion or even amnesia are all common in those who have experienced a concussion.
Because of this, those in the healing phases often have trouble assimilating back into their normal lives, and for children, this means the classroom. Those who experience these side effects are more likely to have a difficult time following lesson plans, completing schoolwork and keeping up with the other children.
"Students appear physically normal after a concussion, so it may be difficult for teachers and administrators to understand the extent of the child's injuries and recognize the potential need for academic adjustments," said Mark Halstead, M.D., FAAP, reported the American Academy of Pediatrics. "But we know that children who've had a concussion may have trouble learning new material and remembering what they've learned, and returning to academics may worsen concussion symptoms."
Doctors can prescribe medications to help reduce feelings of dizziness and facilitate concentration, which can help children reintegrate into the classroom. In addition, teachers and parents need to be patient and encourage the child to take things slow.
FLAVORx makes medicinal flavorings that can help make taking medication easier for children. Ask your pharmacist how you can get your child's favorite FLAVORx flavor for his or her prescription.
