ALL SPORTS…

Dr. David Samadi of the Fox News Medical “A-Team” discusses the symptoms and effects of sports-related concussions in children. There are 3.8 million sports-related concussions in the United States each year and a new 2 minute test is being conducted to try to diagnose when one has occurred. Since concussions can result in damage to the brain when severe enough it’s important to be able to diagnose and treat them quickly. The test is very simple and uses flash cards with numbers shown to players that they’re asked about. The test is designed to look at the ability of the child to pay attention, do simple calculations, and to make sure their vision is okay. If there is a delay of 5 seconds or more that indicate the symptoms of a concussion. These symptoms that show a concussion has occurred are a result of how the brain works. A concussion occurs when the frontal lobe of the brain hits the inside of the skull due to an impact, and then when the back of the brain is hit due to a second impact. The frontal lobe of the brain controls our personality, behavior, and ability to do calculations. The back of the brain controls our vision. It’s important for parents of children who play sports to be able to recognize all of the symptoms, which include a change in personality, blurry vision, difficulty with calculations, nausea and vomiting. Mild concussions should be monitored for 24 hours for any changes with the symptoms. If they get worse the child should be taken to the …