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>> I MAKE SURE MY CHILD WEARS HER HELMET SO SHE'S
NOT AT RISK FOR A CONCUSSION.
>> HELMETS WERE DESIGNED TO PREVENT SKULL FRACTURES.
THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DESIGN A HELMET
YET THAT PREVENTS CONCUSSIONS.
>> SINCE A CONCUSSION IS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT YOUR
BRAIN IS SHAKING IN YOUR SKULL,
YOU CAN IMAGINE THERE'S NO WAY A HELMET
CAN PREVENT THAT.
IT MAY REDUCE SOME OF THE FORCES THAT MAY RESULT
IN A CONCUSSION, BUT A CONCUSSION IS NOT EVER
GOING TO BE PREVENTED BY HAVING A HELMET.
>> I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY WORRIES ABOUT MY SON BECAUSE
HE'S ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT JUST ALWAYS SEEMS
TO BOUNCE BACK.
>> WHILE CHILDREN BOUNCE BACK FROM MOST INJURIES,
WE KNOW THAT CHILDREN TAKE LONGER TO RECOVER
FROM CONCUSSION THAN ADULTS.
>> CERTAINLY, THERE ARE SOME CASES WHERE KIDS CAN HAVE
A CONCUSSION AND THEY CAN RECOVER WITHIN A FEW DAYS.
BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY MANY CASES WHERE KIDS CAN
TAKE LONGER, AND SO YOU WANT TO BE READY FOR THAT AND NOT
JUST ASSUME THAT THEY'LL HAVE A SHORT RECOVERY.
>> I THINK SHE WAS OK.
SHE DIDN'T PASS OUT.
SHE GOT UP AND WALKED RIGHT OFF THE FIELD.
>> A CONCUSSION OCCURS WHEN THERE'S A HIT TO THE HEAD
FOLLOWED BY A DISTURBANCE IN THE WAY THE BRAIN WORKS.
LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS OCCURS ONLY IN ABOUT 10 PERCENT
OF CONCUSSIONS.
>> IF YOU LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS,
YOU PROBABLY HAVE A CONCUSSION.
BUT EVEN IF YOU DON'T LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS,
YOU MAY STILL HAVE A CONCUSSION,
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT FACT.
>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T
HAVE A CONCUSSION.
CAN YOU DO A CT SCAN?
>> THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC TESTS THAT PROVE YOU HAVE
A CONCUSSION.
MRI AND CT SCAN DO NOT DEFINITIVELY SAY YOU HAVE
OR DO NOT HAVE A CONCUSSION.
>> WHAT THEY'RE USED FOR EARLY ON IN THE EMERGENCY
ROOM IS TO SEE IF YOUR CHILD HAS A BLEED IN THE BRAIN,
NOT TO DIAGNOSE A CONCUSSION.
SO IF YOU GET A CT, IT'S NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSE
A CONCUSSION.
IT'S MEANT TO RULE OUT A MORE SEVERE INJURY,
SUCH AS A BRAIN BLEED.
>> I'VE HEARD IT'S IMPORTANT TO WAKE UP A CHILD IF THEY
HAVE A CONCUSSION JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY
EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS.
IS THAT REALLY TRUE?
>> YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAKE UP YOUR CHILD EVERY COUPLE
HOURS AT NIGHT IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT A CONCUSSION.
>> IN FACT, WAKING THEM UP MAY SLOW DOWN
THE HEALING PROCESS.
>> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER,
THEN, THAT REST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TREATMENT FOR
A CONCUSSION, AND WAKING YOUR CHILD UP EVERY COUPLE HOURS
OVERNIGHT WON'T HELP THEM GET THE REST THAT THEY NEED
TO RECOVER FROM THE CONCUSSION.
>> I CAN HANDLE THE PAIN.
I CAN PLAY THROUGH THE PAIN.
I THINK I'VE PLAYED THROUGH CONCUSSIONS BEFORE.
>> SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT WITH
A CONCUSSION, THERE IS NO GAIN FROM PAIN,
THAT IF YOU PLAY THROUGH THE PAIN,
YOU RUN THE RISK OF ACTUALLY MAKING YOUR INJURY WORSE
AND POTENTIALLY MISSING MORE THAN JUST A FEW GAMES,
AND POTENTIALLY THE ENTIRE SEASON.
>> IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INJURY,
THE BODY IS TRYING TO HEAL ITSELF.
AND IF YOU DIVERT FUEL FROM THE BODY BY EXERCISING
OR DOING TOO MUCH COGNITIVITY, YOU SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS.
IF, DURING THAT PROCESS, YOU GET HIT AGAIN,
THE CONSEQUENCES CAN BE CATASTROPHIC AND CAN INVOLVE
MONTHS TO RECOVER.
>> THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET BETTER FROM A CONCUSSION
IS TO TAKE CARE OF IT RIGHT AWAY,
PULL YOURSELF OUT, AND GIVE YOURSELF THE CHANCE
TO GET BETTER.
ONCE YOU'RE BETTER, YOU'LL ACTUALLY GET BACK TO PLAY
PROBABLY SOONER THAN IF YOU CONTINUE TO PLAY THROUGH
THE PAIN.