Pediatrician: Student athletes should get sports physicals to check for concussions
With sports comes injuries, and some children can be at higher risk if they don’t get a sports physical before playing.
Now with high school football season right around the corner, concussions are a big concern.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions, a concussion is traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth in the skull.
That movement can create chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretch and damaging the brain cells.
A local pediatrician recommends any student planning on playing sports in school to get a sports physical done…
"We want to know if they had a concussion or how how long ago that concussion was, if they're still having any problems with that, if they had any other if they had previous sports related injuries, any injuries that had required surgery or fractures, if those have appropriately healed before we send them to play sports," says Dr. Janel Lynch, a UMC pediatrician.
The CDC says teens usually report symptoms like:
- Headaches or “pressure” in head
- Nausea or vomiting
- Balance problems or dizziness
- Blurry or double vision
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
Parents should also pay attention and see if their child seems confused, answers questions slowly, is forgetful, or shows behavior and personality changes.
