The Effects of Sports Related Head Injuries

Sports related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are more prevalent than you may think. Nearly 300,000 professional and amateur athletes are effected every year in the United States alone. Football, hockey and boxing are the biggest culprits but head injuries are also very common in cycling, baseball, basketball and skateboarding. Sadly many sports related TBIs lead to permanent brain damage.

Athletes who have suffered traumatic brain injury require immediate medical attention and if the damage is severe enough permanent care. The financial hardships caused by these types of injuries can be extremly challenging to the athlete's family.

Hidden Dangers for Young Athletes
Severe and even moderate brain injuries are typically easy to diagnose/identify, however, less severe injuries can easily go undetected. These types of injuries are usually categorized as closed head injuries rather than open head injuries (indicating the skull has been penetrated). Damage from these types of injuries is not visibly apparent nor can it be detected on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans. Thankfully, it can be detected using SPECT brain studies. Parents should be cautious with young athletes, many of whom hide their symptoms in order to continue playing. When this happens players do not reach full recovery and can experience devastating damage as a result. Failure to detect and properly treat TBI is especially harmful to young athletes because they do not have fully developed brain tissue. Injuries suffered at this stage can cause life-long issues, not to mention the almost immediate impact on mood, relationships and school performance.