Concussions Easier To Come By After First ExperiencePOSTED: 3:22 pm EDT October 24,
2006 The following is a transcript of a report by medical editor Marilyn Brooks that first aired Oct. 24, 2006, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m. Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident in June, in addition to this most recent head injury, could lead to long-term problems.Repeated concussions have ended the careers and lives of more than a few athletes. Think of your skull as a box and your brain as an egg. When you get a violent blow to the head, your brain is slammed around inside the box. Bruising disrupts the electrical activity, causing symptoms.Burke Coleman certainly had symptoms when a concussion knocked him out of basketball season."Right after it happened, I experienced dizziness," said Coleman. "I lost all my focus. I had no attention span."It happens about 82,000 times a year, making head injury the most common in sports.The longer you're unconscious, the more severe and persistent the symptoms."It can be subtle," said Dr. Darrin Bright. "It can be just a headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances."A head injury doesn't always mean unconsciousness. In fact, 90 percent of those who suffer concussions remain awake, but once you've had a concussion, you are four times more likely to have a second concussion.A helmet does provide some protection, but it's less with each subsequent concussion.Another little interesting point about concussions is that they don't have to be head-rockers. The more concussions you have, the easier they are to come by. That may be an indication that the brain never fully recovers from a hard knock. Related Links: More County News Copyright 2006 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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