Take precautions to minimize concussion injuries

July 22, 2016, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Get a Head of Concussion Injuries

Safety and Prevention tips for you and your family

With summer in full-swing, the last thing of the long list of summer activities anyone wants to be doing is sitting at home suffering from a concussion.

Concussion this, concussion that—what is a concussion? A concussion is an injury as a result of the impact a person experiences when they are directly hit upon head, face, or neck. Sometimes people can receive a concussion from a hit to the body if the blow is severe enough. The force from any of these hits can cause the brain to jam into the skull, giving the person a concussion.  A concussion can occur in any activity where a blow can go to the head, jaw, or neck is possible.  The most concussions happen when people are playing sports, especially high-contact sports like rugby, football or hockey. Interestingly, soccer and baseball also have high-risk factors for concussions. Concussions can also happen in car accidents, and in slip and fall injuries.

How are concussions determined? How can someone tell if another person has a concussion?

With multiple signs and symptoms, determining a concussion can seem overwhelming. The basics though, are that are three kinds of symptoms that can determine if someone has a concussion; physical, cognitive, and emotional.  Some physical symptoms are poor coordination or balance, vomiting, dizziness and looking “Glassy eyed”. Cognitive symptoms include confusion, trouble concentrating or being more prone to distractions, drowsiness or trouble falling asleep, and emotional symptoms include depression, irritability, inappropriate behavior, and moodiness. 

What about a loss of consciousness? Shouldn’t that be the biggest sign?

Yes, a loss consciousness is one of the signs and symptoms people use to determine a concussion; however, it is a misconception to believe it is the biggest sign to lookout for. Many concussions happen that people don’t show this symptom. So while someone who passes out after a blow could have a concussion, it is that important while assessing anyone that other symptoms are checked, and that a loss of consciousness isn’t the most important sign for judging a head injury.

When does one need to go see a doctor about their concussion?

If someone has been hit in the head, neck, face, jaw, or body, and has any of these symptoms, it is a good idea that they go see a health care professional for further diagnostics; however, since the exact cause of a concussion can’t be determined, there are also a number of other factors that also need to be looked at. For instance with athletes, the type of sport and their medical history should be considered into a diagnosis. Age can also be a factor for a concussion. As younger children are still growing, their brains are also still developing, making them prone to injury. After an initial diagnosis, people should be wary of signs if a concussion is worsening, like strange behavior, experiencing seizures if they aren’t epileptic, worsening headaches, increased vomiting, trouble walking, increased confusion, or not waking up.

How can people prevent concussions?

One the most effective ways someone can stop a concussion before it happens is to follow the safety rules. Whether out on the field, or in a car, or in the workplace, it is important to remember that rules are put in place to protect people from being in certain situations where a concussion could take place. Therefore, people should behave according to the rules to avoid accidents before they happen. Another effective way to stop concussions from happening is to wear the proper safety gear when doing any high-risk activity. For example, wearing a helmet when riding a bike or skateboarding.  While one cannot eliminate all risk of concussion, following rules, wearing proper equipment and exercising some prudence can go a long way to eliminating a large percentage of concussion injuries.

Summer can be a lot of fun, but only if one isn’t suffering from any injuries like concussions. Stay safe, stay informed, and enjoy the outdoors concussion-free!

All this information, and more, can be found on the following websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_prevention.html

http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/sport_related_concussion

http://horizon.parachutecanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Physicians_Concussion_Guidelines.pdf

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/concussions/

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/158.pdf

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

The opinions expressed here, while intended to provide useful information, should not be interpreted as legal recommendations or advice.